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Bermuda Issues Tropical Storm Warning as Hurricane Bertha Nears

Associated Press

Hamilton, Bermuda - The Bermuda Weather Service has issued a tropical storm warning for the Atlantic island due to Hurricane Bertha.

The category 1 storm had been nearly stationary for hours. But the U.S. National Hurricane Center says it is expected to chug north at about 2 mph later Saturday.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,381253,00.html

Iran Begins War Game With Warning to U.S., Israel
Fox News
Tehran, Iran - The elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, staging a
mysterious military exercise, issued a warning that Israel and U.S.
naval forces in the Persian Gulf would be targets if Iran is attacked.

The Web site of the Iranian force posted a statement late Monday
announcing the military drill, which it said involved "missile squads,"
but did not say where it was taking place. Iran's guards and national
army hold regular exercises two or three times a year, but the statement
did not say whether this drill was one of them or if it was a special
exercise.

The Iranian Web Site quoted guard official Ali Shirazi as saying that
Israel's coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv and U.S. warships in the Gulf
would be among the first targets if Iran comes under attack.

"The Zionist regime is pushing the White House to prepare for a military
strike on Iran," Shirazi was quoted as saying. "If such a stupidity is
done by them, Tel Aviv and the U.S. naval fleet in the Persian Gulf will
be the first targets which will be set on fire in Iran's crushing
response."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,377626,00.html

Iran's Troubling Claims of New Firepower Appear False

Associated Press

Tehran, Iran - Iran's missile test this week demonstrated no new capabilities, according to a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence, and the test may not have included one of the longer-range missiles that Iran said was among those launched.

Iranian officials said the tests Wednesday and Thursday demonstrated a new variant of the Shahab missile with a range of 1,250 miles (2,012 kilometers). Such a missile would put much of the Middle East in striking distance, including Israel, 650 miles (1,045 km) from Iran, as well as Turkey, Pakistan and the Arabian peninsula.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,381181,00.html

Associated Press

Beijing, China - North Korea agreed to disable its main reactor by the end of October and allow international inspections to verify its nuclear disarmament in a deal reached Saturday at the end of six-nation talks.

In exchange, the United States, China, and three other countries would complete promised deliveries of fuel oil and other economic aid to Pyongyang.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,381247,00.html

Desert Oasis: Oil Sheiks Plan 'Green' City, Look to Alternative Energy
Fox News
Abu Dhabi, UAE - The United Arab Emirates won't run out of oil for about
a century, but it's already committing billions to help wean the world
off the very product that made it rich.

The UAE, which pumps millions of barrels of oil every day, wants to
become an alternative energy hub. It has made an initial investment of
$15 billion for its Masdar Initiative, which it hopes will establish it
as a leader in the field of green energy.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,378066,00.html

Russia Warns of Military Response If U.S.-Czech Missile Defense
Agreement Approved
Associated Press
Moscow, Russia - Russia will be forced to make a military response if
the U.S.-Czech missile defense agreement is ratified, the Foreign
Ministry said Tuesday.

The statement came hours after U.S. and Czech officials reached an
initial agreement on deploying elements of a missile defense system in
the Eastern European country.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,378065,00.html

And here at home:

Associated Press

Washington, DC - President Bush on Saturday tried to pin the blame on Congress for soaring energy prices and said lawmakers need to lift long-standing restrictions on drilling for oil in pristine lands and offshore tracts believed to hold huge reserves of fuel.

"It's time for members of Congress to address the pain that high gas prices are causing our citizens," the president said. "Every extra dollar that American families spend because of high gas prices is one less dollar they can use to put food on the table or send a child to college. The American people deserve better."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,381263,00.html

Fox News

Washington, DC - U.S. Capitol Police closed off a swath of territory in front of the U.S. Capitol late Friday after some 30 birds and ducks were discovered dead in the reflecting pool in front of the Capitol.

Capitol Police Chief Phil Morse told FOX News it appears the water in the reflecting pool was somehow over-chlorinated.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,381241,00.html

Associated Press

Willmar, Minnesota - A tornado touched down near Willmar on Friday, destroying homes and damaging a turkey farm, a mobile home dealership, and a farm equipment dealer, said Kandiyohi County Emergency Management Director Don Ericson.

Two people were reported injured, Ericson said. He did not have details but said both injuries were minor.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,381221,00.html

Overseas Crews, More National Guard Troops Called in to Fight California Flames

Associated Press

Paradise, California - As hundreds of blazes continue to char California, additional National Guard troops and overseas crews are being called in to assist exhausted firefighters, and President Bush has scheduled a visit to the state.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday ordered 2,000 more National Guard troops to join the 400 already on firefighting duty. Australia, Canada, Greece, Mexico and New Zealand are also sending firefighters and equipment, federal officials said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,381249,00.html

Associated Press

Spokane, Washington - A 1,200-acre wildfire fanned by winds gusting to 50 mph has destroyed at least eight homes in a heavily wooded part of the suburban Spokane Valley.

More than 200 residents were evacuated.

Wildfires were also reported burning in Ferry, Lincoln, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties in northeast Washington.

Wildfires elsewhere in Eastern Washington advanced across rough terrain, burning nearly 9 square miles.

The Red Cross set up evacuation centers at University High School in the Spokane Valley and North Central High School in Spokane. An evacuation center for horses was set up at the Spokane County Fairgrounds.

The winds knocked out power to about 1,000 homes in the Spokane area and about 6,000 homes in Colville, in northeast Washington.

At the peak of the windstorm, about 8,900 Avista customers in Eastern Washington and north Idaho lost power, Markson said.

Near Tonasket, just south of the U.S.-Canada border, firefighters on the Cayuse Fire were battling steep terrain, rattlesnakes and winds gusting to 30 mph, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Robin DeMario.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008046198_apwawashwildfires.html

Gaston, North Carolina - The blaze dubbed "The Evans Road Fire" has burned more than 41,500 acres in east North Carolina throughout Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding areas.

Rain in the area has helped ease the surface fires that started June 1st.

Paradise, California - Officials said the unprecedented fire season, fuelled by drought and 100 degrees Farenheit temperatures, had seen the most fires burning at any one time in recorded California history.

Most of the blazes began during a massive lightning storm on June 21 that sparked 800 wildfires.

In the town of Concow, over 50 homes were burned to the ground and in the nearby town of Paradise, some thousands of residents were forced to evacuate their homes.

More than 10,000 people in California have been evacuated and wildfires in the high country have been left to burn uncontrolled while firefighters work on the preserving homes and businesses.

Bloomberg News Service

Los Angeles, California - Salmonella, the bacterium that has sickened more than 1,000 Americans who ate tainted produce since April, has also been found in Thai basil grown in Mexico.

FDA officials have boosted inspections of Mexican exports as they look for the origin of the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak that has spread to 42 states since mid-April. Although the focus has been on certain types of tomatoes grown in Mexico and Florida, officials said this week that jalapenos caused some illnesses and serrano peppers and cilantro also were under investigation.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-basil12-2008jul12,0,4680493.story

So for this weeks show we're going to do an overview of some of the topics we've touched on.

On our April 5th Show we discussed the Global Food Shortage. We've touched on this topic on almost every show since and it's important that you realize that between food shortages, storms, damaged crops, rising fuel costs and contaminated food from unknown sources everyone needs to stock up as they can afford it and make sure that you store and prepare your food safely to keep you and your family healthy.

I have long advocated the 100-Mile Diet and I will post the link on the blog for today's show. You can go to their website at www.100milediet.org Visit their website and learn more.

Our April 12th show touched on the types of preparedness you should be looking in to:

When a disaster strikes there are several options:

1) Sheltering-in-place. This is where you hunker down in your location and stay put. You should be prepared enough to take care of yourself and your family without expecting local, state or federal help. Now I'm not saying suck it up and take it. If a family member is injured or ill, if your home is no longer stable, if there's is a clear & present danger, then get the heck out. That's just common sense. But if you can, if you're in a good, safe location, then why go anywhere else?

2) Emergency evacuation or "bugging out" is for when the danger warrants that you leave your home and it’s no longer safe to shelter-in-place It means you can't stay where you are, it's not safe, and you're leaving. You should have bags packed in advance and something that holds copies of important documents so that you can "grab & go".

3) The third option, which I don't count as an option, is government shelters. In the case of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, people who had no place to evacuate to and who, for obvious reason couldn't shelter-in-place, had to go to a facilities that held literally thousands and tens of thousands of people. We all saw from the news reports how poorly-organized these facilities were. Now politics could creep in here but I'm not going to go there. We'll save that topic for another day also.

We did have a discussion recently on one of our lists about this and the differences between areas that after the storms the citizens pulled themselves up by the boot-straps, got in there and helped their neighbors and themselves and about people who kicked back and to this day are still complaining that they're living in squalor still because the government hasn't helped them from a storm that has now happened three years ago.

Some of those areas in the southeast will never be the same. Ever.

The April 19th Show went back to the Global Food Crisis as at this point this year it was the topic of the day and some areas were at critical mass as crisis' go. We went over the information for having a year's supply of food per person in your home.

Per person you should have the following for one year:

Grains

150 pounds of wheat

25 pounds flour, corn meal, oats

50 pounds rice

25 pound pasta

This is 300 pounds of grains per person

Fats & Oils

4 lbs shortening

2 gal vegetable oil

2 qt mayonnaise

1 qt salad dressing

4 lbs peanut butter

For a total of 25 lbs fats & oils

Legumes/Beans

30 lbs dry beans

5 lbs lima beans

10 lbs soy beans

5 lbs split peas

5 lbs lentils

5 lbs dry soup mix

For a total of 60 lbs of legumes/beans

Sugars

3 lbs Honey

40 lbs sugar

3 lbs brown sugar

1 lbs molassas

3 lbs corn syrup

3 lbs jam

6 lbs fruit drink, powdered

1 lbs flavored gelatin

For a total of 60 lbs of sugar

Dairy

60 lbs Dry Milk

12 lb Evaporated Milk

13 lbs Other

For a total of 75 lbs of dairy

Cooking & Baking Staples

1 lbs Baking Powder

1 lbs Baking Soda

0.5 lbs Yeast

5 lbs Salt

0.5 gal Vinegar

14 gal water

1 gal bleach

You'll have to get meat through hunting and fishing unless you've stored a lot of canned meat. The list above are the staples. The basics that will give you protein and energy to survive but you'll have to learn how to hunt & gather to supplement these items.

Get a good book that lists the local plants that are edible. Make sure it's for your region.

Do you like your spring mix salad or mesclun salad? Some of what are in these mixes are weeds and wild plants like dandelions, corn salat, purslane - stuff that you can find in your yard, around your neighborhood, etc. You have to make sure that these items aren't treated. Don't use chemicals on your lawns. And don't forage next to a travelled road. The remnants of exhaust can contaminate the food.

Plant a garden. You can plant in containers and keep them in lighted windows in your home if you don't have a deck, patio or yard. You can buy seeds that are sealed in a can for long-term storage. These are heirloom seeds which are the kind you want to buy. Heirloom seeds are seeds that you can save and they will grow the same plant next time. Seeds nowadays are genetically-modified and if you save the seeds and replant them you may not even get the same plant. You definitely won't be able to harvest the same vegetables or fruits.

Stock up on canned food. Take your budget and add a buffer in it in case there's something on sale so that you can buy extras. Canned food needs to be rotated but you can do that by putting new purchases behind old purchases.

Also, watch buying at big box club stores. It's not always a deal and I've actually seen where it would cost more to buy six cans of corn then if you bought the same brand at the grocery store that's not on sale.

The April 26th Show continued this discussion.

The beginning of May and our May 3rd Show brought a discussion on Earthquake Preparedness. Shortly thereafter China had a huge earthquake destroying some areas and killing a large number of people.

May 10th's Show brought us Outbreak – How to Prepare for a Pandemic.

Historically there have been epidemics for as long as beast and man had contact. Some caused by bacteria, some by viruses.

Recently we've had outbreaks of Hoof & Mouth disease in China, Whooping Cough (Pertussis) here in Washington state and a measles outbreak spanning 15 states.

May 17th brought us 2 weeks to go in the current, 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season and a show on Hurricane Preparedness. To adequately prepare for a hurricane, you must first understand what one is which we discussed on the show.

May 24th's show discussed Preparedness Mindsets and what you should expect in an emergency.

June 1st we discussed the food shortages again and some shopping observations.

First, I recommended that everyone get a May/June copy of Backwoods Home Magazine. If you've never seen a copy it's one of the best preparedness magazines left. If you're looking for reading material I also suggest Countryside, Back Home, Mother Earth News, Soldier of Fortune and the online only Modern Survival Magazine which is run by Jim Benson, the former editor of American Survival Guide.

You've got to start getting the information in your hands and practicing it. You can listen to my show and trust me or not but if you get out there and gather the information yourself, from sources you trust, then you'll, in my opinion, trust the value of what I'm telling you about more.

The May/June 2008 issue of Backwoods Home Magazine is a "special preparedness issue" titled "Gearing Up for an Econimic Squeeze." Well let me tell you, the squeeze is ON! It's why we're all here listening to the show and giving out the information!

June 8th we discussed types of disasters: We have natural disaster and man-made disasters. Natural disasters are usually weather related or atmospheric, planetary, etc. Man-made disasters are accidents or as the result of negligence or on purpose like acts of terrorism or war.

So what should you prepare for and how do you do it?

June 14 the Iowa storms were full blown and we discussed the flooding in Iowa and the storms across the midwest and what should you expect in an emergency from local, state and federal government.

We went over emergency reports from Iowa Emergency management showing how it was organized and what to expect.

June 21st we went over kits and where to purchase the items in them.

Most of the items called for on the lists from both FEMA and American Red Cross can be found around the house or at your local big box stores. We went through the lists and talked about the items on them.

June 28th we went over Education & Training. What you need to know and where you need to learn it. Everyone should know basic first aid and CPR. You should know how to prepare and what you need to prepare. You may want to learn some camping & survival skills. Maybe you just want to know some general survival information. If you or someone you know is disabled you may want to know how to care for them in a disaster. What about neighborhood safety and search & rescue or how to become an EMT or an emergency manager like me? A lot of this information is available for FREE in the form of online classes and community classes in your area. You just have to know where to look.

Last week were went over What is HAZMAT and what can you do to prepare for it?

We're recapping this week so that you know what's in the archives. Go back and listen to the shows, read the blogs, visit the links and learn the information.

Then contact us with questions and suggestions.

This is all under your own control.