TOTM March 2020 - Pandemic

I'd just backup that gate - sending the correct message to anyone that's vehicle dependent like most half-azz raider types >>> if you want some impenetrable foliage that'll come on fast it's multiflora roses - unfortunately not always legal ....

 

Multiflora roses - A pestiferous exotic considered the Kudzu of the north. Prohibited in this state although I take such dictum's with a migraine of salt.

 

I'm skeptical of the number. Russia 2 India 3 and with all the Chinese investment / projects in Africa .. there too!

 

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.

I think the issue is how quickly it spreads.

 

OK, is it to the point that you think it is time to stock up on the short term survival goods? Six months medicines, vitamins, tooth paste and shaving cream, bathroom supplies, dish washer soap, stuff that you could use while the power was on, but the stores limited. Stuff that is fairly cheap, high in calories, but has a short storage life. Butter, eggs like to pickle them for 6 mo storage, cheese, olive and other oils, walnuts and other nuts, brown rice, flour, yeast, cake and other mixes, breakfast foods, lard, bacon, dried meats, soda crackers, canned chili and other meats and tuna, vinegar, hot sauce, etc. Well you catch the drift, high calorie food with a reliable storage life of a few months to a year and that would make your long term storage food last longer. I would also include chain saw gas, generator fuel, fertilizer, seeds, bleach, plywood for windows and doors, etc. At what point does this present fear turn into a full blown panic and what do you do to make your life as normal and pleasant as possible during the early stages of the troubles. My point of view is that it is too late to get into serious prepping now, but that a couple of thousand spent on hoarding goods could be good for either barter or short term extenders for your long term survival goods. We don't all live in Alaska and some goods are still on the shelves.
Saw a demonstration of a poor mans elephant scare technique that might work for humans, a condom full of the hottest red pepper powder you can get and a large fire cracker. Flash, loud noise, and a blinding cloud of pepper. Don't know about humans, but the elephants left the corn field and did not come back. Ghost pepper powder kind of discourages tracking dogs and it wouldn't take much in the air to keep me out of an area.

 

Local schools closed this next week.

LDS (Mormon) church just announced no services, world-wide - until further notice.

More importantly, DISNEYLAND closes this Sat until further notice....

 

OK, the crunch is here, shelves emptying out, the thundering hoard now has 1 weeks toilet paper, but no food. If you need 1600 calories a day, what is cheapest? 1 lb butter, $2.50 and 3200 calories, 1 jar of peanut butter, $2.00 and 2800 calories, 1 old fashioned oat meal, $2.00 and 4500 calorie, 1 box of saltine crackers, $2.00 and 1800 calories, 1 box of instant potatoes, $2.00 and 1600 calories, with butter and oil, 3200, generic bisquick, spaghetti $1 a box, 1600 calories, sauce store brand $1.50 and 400 calories, put butter on it to get fat calories and more calories. Point being that for about $50, you can get a lot of bulk to keep your stomach full and going to the toilet, eat like your grandparents did, eggs, bacon, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, even if it is a flour tortilla cooked in the fry pan and trust me, after a few days, you will love the fat taste of the cooking oil it was fried in. Lots of bean pea and lentil soups, etc. Beans, rice, flour tortilla, cheese, peppers, onions, tomato's, our neighbors to the south have survived for centuries on that diet, so don't knock it. Crazy part was yesterday all those items were still on shelves, while canned veggies, toilet paper, frozen pizza and soups were gone.

I am sure that all of us older people have been to this dance before and have some idea how to eat cheap, old starving student - artist diet.

THE MOST USEFUL PREPPING TOOL I EVER HAVE OWNED IS A MAGIC MARKER !!!!

It does you no good if you throw it away. Date every can, bottle, package, you buy in large and bold dates. If it has an expire date that is serious, mark that down in a contrasting color, I use black for purchase, red for expire. If not, those items that you use often will end up with some old can in a corner. I know that I should have systems that rotate them automatically, but I don't.

 

Thankfully the panic hasn't fully hit here yet. The company I work for has gone full retard and is emptying out the facilities nationwide, and everything is getting canceled left and right, so it will be a bleak tourist season on the coast. The real victim in all of this will be the economy.

 

Last biggie that hit, Spanish Flu, and almost no one could "work from home" or do 'distance learning'.
We will survive this, just as we have in the past.

You may have seen this famous speech



seems to fit today's situation as well. Give the kiddos a hug, wash your hands and Ranger Up.

 

OK, had to vote on bill Nancy had worked up at 2 am, no one had a chance to read it and have to take her word it is right. Senate is not in session, so bill can not go ahead until they are back in session. Why not let people read it and pass it next week when the Senate is ready for it. But then I have always been a little afraid of midnight deals between professional politicians. Was involved with medical stuff at state levels back in early 1970's. We got one word changed in federal law, percentage of total state expenditures in previous year instead of percentage of federal expenditures on medical expenses in state in previous year. Meant the feds gave us $30 million more money in our state, at that time about 8 to 10 % more of our state expenditures. Fixed it a couple years later, but by then we had got close to $100 million and new base was higher. The man who wrote the bill for the states got his people several billion by changing one word.

 

Nope, 82 year old mechanic fixing power tools, 50 years ago I had a couple degrees in political science and economics and played the civil service game. Reached the point I reported to the governor and spent a lot of time in Washington. Ever time I went to the Dr, they wanted to hospitalize me for high blood pressure and ulcers. Quit and started to work with my hands, lost wife as not enough money or prestige, but 50 years later I am still working with my hands, playing in my garden and greenhouse, and put hot sauce on my chili. I either can not or don't want to put up with the BS of the political game and the higher you get in it, the worse it gets, and even 50 years ago the people in charge felt like they had a God given right to run the country as they knew it should be run. Given it was the time of the Vietnam war, inflation, unrest, etc, it perhaps wasn't the best time to be involved, but it looks worse from the outside now than it did then. No real changes, 737 body based on 707, first modern airline jet, F-104 and SR71 still fastest planes, U2 and B57 still highest flying, lots of getting the bugs out, but politics are worse and the basic designs haven't really changed in last 40 years. Old habits die hard, still do read a lot of the legislation passed and marvel at the difference between what it states and what the lying media states it said.

 

The system is working just as we all expected it to. Man Walks Out Of 'Quarantine Motel' & Goes Shopping, Hops On Public Bus Hops bus, shoplifts, he is homeless so he doesn't have to obey the rules. Billions for "research" ie pay off the drug companies and the educational - research industry.

 

The Mayor here in Anchorage must think he's in NY

Just ordered all theaters, bars, beanerys and gyms closed till EOM, March. That will bankrupt about 40% of the small businesses here in town.

All over ONE case of the COVID19 virus. And that was a pilot (cargo) for outside. Never let a crisis go to waste....

At least order out/delivery is still allowed....I wonder how long before the liquor stores offer to the home deliver like GrubHub (BoozeHub?)

 

@DKR
Call girls still around ?
Were all getting this flu ,, just in small waves ..
Sloth

 

Sex trafficking is a class A felony all over Alaska

 

Alaska, US
Confirmed: 14
Deaths: 0
Recovered: 0
Active: 14