Free Republic

Interesting use of crayola crayons for emergencies.

Here's the link.

Drivers and homeowners scrambled to secure fuel for their cars and generators in the U.S. Northeast on Wednesday as storm-hit gasoline stations started to run dry. More than half of all gasoline service stations in the New York City area and New Jersey were shut because of depleted fuel supplies and power outages, frustrating attempts to restore normal life, industry officials said. Reports of long lines, dark stations and empty tanks circulated across the region. Some station owners were unable to pump fuel due to a lack of power, while others quickly ran their tanks dry because of increased demand...

After his eponymously-named lab discovered Flame, "the most sophisticated cyber weapon yet unleashed," Eugene Kaspersky believes that the evolving threat of “cyber terrorism” could spell the end of life on Earth as we know it. ­Doomsday scenarios are a common occurrence in 2012, but coming from a steely-eyed realist like Eugene Kaspersky, his calls for a global effort to halt emerging cyber threats should raise alarm bells. A global Internet blackout and crippling attacks against key infrastructure are among two possible cyber-pandemics he outlined."It's not cyber war, it's cyber terrorism, and I'm afraid the game is just beginning. Very soon,...

I had lunch yesterday with one of the sharpest financial minds I’ve met in a long time at a rather picturesque setting overlooking Evergreen Lake, west of Denver. The restaurant patrons were all well-to-do residents of this wealthy community… in fact, the whole area is like a bubble, largely shielded from any negative effect of the economic fallout thus far. Most of these folks have gone about their lives over the last few years completely oblivious to the global financial crisis. My friend agreed; he told me, “Most of the people sitting in this restaurant haven’t felt a thing. Their...

In what I believe is an historically strong field -- don't let the media convince you otherwise -- Romney has performed most ably so far, even under fire. That is not to say that he is the best candidate, but rather that he is best prepared debater. If someone is to beat him -- and at least four others are still capable -- that someone will have to work harder and smarter. Romney is not likely to beat himself.

National Security: The Sept. 11 commission stated that our biggest failure was one of imagination. Imagine an Iranian nuclear device detonating high over the American heartland. They're working on it. On the same day the 9/11 Commission issued its report, another commission issued a report on a threat that could change our world and way of life in ways we can scarcely imagine. It is a real and credible threat, and it is largely being ignored. The threat is a phenomenon known as electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, and demonstrates why the issue of homeland security extends beyond the need for...

During those few weeks, I saw an incredible demand for fuel (mainly for generators), alcohol and 12v pumps of various types; those that could pump fuel from gas station reserves or those that could pump water. Along those lines, five gallon gas cans were a hot commodity, as well. In the downtown area (near the bars), I discovered that several bags of ice could be traded for alcohol, which could then be traded for just about anything, especially food. I was amazed at how many National Guard soldiers would offer four or five cases of MREs (Meals Ready to Eat)...

Here are 6 irrefutable reasons 1. Unemployment 2. Economic Armageddon 3. Natural Disasters 4. For your loved ones and those who depend on you 5. You’re not sixteen anymore 6. Don’t worry. You won’t look stupid

On a seperate discussion the topic of bug-out bags came up and I thought it might be a good general topic for discussion. What everyone has in theirs, what is recommended, weights, why those items, more than one, differences for different family members, etc.

The terse announcement came just after 9:45 p.m. Sunday from Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director. “POTUS to address the nation tonight at 10:30 PM Eastern Time,” he wrote on Twitter, sharing the same message that had just been transmitted to the White House press corps. According to Brian Williams, the “NBC Nightly News” anchor, some journalists received a three-word e-mail that simply read, “Get to work.” *snip* That speculation was not aired out on television immediately, but it did erupt on Twitter and other social networking sites. Wishful thinking about bin Laden’s death ricocheted across the Web —...

Like a hand to glove, the Great Depression touched on timeless characteristics. Sacrifice. Economy. Generosity within community. Booyah has not necessarily stood this test of time. The hobo-stewish mix of beef shank, chicken, oxtails, rutabaga and more will be served for lunch April 30 at the Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance’s “Midwest Eats! Foodways of the Great Depression.” The program runs through May 1 at Kendall College, 900 N. North Branch (west of Halsted). At 5 p.m. April 29, the Alliance will re-create the “Eight Cent Menu” served on May 7, 1938 at a “relief banquet” in the Gold Room of...

News of a serious radiation leak at the Fukushima nuclear plant has sparked panic buying in Tokyo, as some residents started to leave the capital to escape potential contamination.... People in the capital, home to 12 million, snapped up radios, torches, candles, fuel containers and sleeping bags, while for the fourth day there was a run on bread, canned goods, instant noodles, bottled water and other foodstuffs at supermarkets...... Fears are rising that if the hoarding frenzy continues it will affect the ability to deliver emergency supplies to the disaster zone. "The situation is hysterical," said Tomonao Matsuo, a spokesman...

QUIX: SHORT EXCERPTS ARE OFFERED IN A SORT OF EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST--THEN THE ENTIRE NARRATIVE AS AVAILABLE AT SPIRITLESSONS.COM I found this to be another anointed, Biblical narrative about a very convincing Heavenly visitation--actually, as usual, to hell, too. There's an item or 3 in this one to potentially trouble the RC's and Maryolators, . . . as well as some potentially troubling things for some Calvinists, however. Read at your own risk. Those exposed to The Truth are responsible before God for what they do about and with The Truth.On the other hand, ignorance affords no eternal protection....

Most of this gear is off-the-shelf and relatively cheap. Check out Cabela’s, CheaperThanDirt.com or SportsMansGuide.com for the best deals.Assumptions: 1. Civil unrest ensues. 2. Communications go down. 3. You may have to fight your way out of wherever you are. or on the way to your destination. 4 You may have to abandon your vehicle 5. You may have to walk to a prearranged safe place or rendezvous/rally point. 6. You will move quickly and not ‘camp out’. Rest, yes. Camp, no. 7. The weather may suck - majorly. Hot, cold, wet, snowy. Strategy assumes that you may lose your...

Here in Indiana, near Grissom ARB, we just felt what we think was an earthquake. Can anyone confirm?

Things are still shaking in Arkansas. More than 500 measurable earthquakes have been reported in central Arkansas since September 20, ranging in magnitude from a barely noticeable 1.8 to a very noticeable 4.0 (recorded on October 11), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Geologists can't say whether they'll stop anytime soon.

Thought I would ask some freepers, since we are all over the nation and beyond. Particularly interested in hearing from those who live near the regions specified. What is happening in your neck of the woods?

The New Madrid fault system does not behave as earthquake hazard models assume and may be in the process of shutting down, a new study shows. A team from Purdue and Northwestern universities analyzed the fault motion for eight years using global positioning system measurements and found that it is much less than expected given the 500- to 1,000-year repeat cycle for major earthquakes on that fault. The last large earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone were magnitude 7-7.5 events in 1811 and 1812. Estimating an accurate earthquake threat for the area, which includes parts of Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee,...

Region: ARKANSAS Geographic coordinates: 35.322N, 92.332W Magnitude: 3.0 M Depth: 4 km Universal Time (UTC): 10 Oct 2010 12:48:23