Written by Pat Henry on The Prepper Journal.

Recoilweb recently published a good article about the probabilities of unlikely events, The Surprisingly Solid Mathematical Case of the Tin Foil Hate Gun Prepper, and how it applies to the “zombie apocalypse”.

The 2018 article discusses the likelihood of a revolution or other major event happening, and how preppers are generally along the leading edge of surviving these events.

It does contain non-common core math calculations, so those who are triggered by such things would be best served by not reading it.

The post Who Needs an AR-15, Anyway? appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

Concealed carry has numerous questions that must be addressed to be effective and meet the important criteria of ease of access to your handgun. Two of the important questions are: Do you wear Inside the Waistband (IWB) or Outside the Waistband (OWB), and secondly, which holster provides the most comfort and ease of access to your handgun.

By Dan C., contributing author to Survival Cache and SHTFblog

Naturally, there are several other issues that you must address when concealed carrying such as cover clothing, belt, and size of the handgun. However, how you wear your handgun and what holster you chose both play a vital roles in many aspects of concealed carry.

Prior to discussing the pros and cons of the above-mentioned topics, it is important that we review the reasons and practicality of why you are wearing a firearm. There are three very important criteria you must consider when wearing a firearm. First, it is a tool that you may need instantaneously and with minimal effort. With that in mind, you must be able to withdraw your handgun effortlessly. And thirdly, if you draw your handgun, then it must be easy to reholster the handgun safely.

All of these factors are influenced by how you are wearing and concealing your firearm. Thus, your holster is a vital part of meeting the expectations of the criteria listed above.

Also read: Ten Tips Everyone Should Know Before Carrying Concealed

Let’s begin with, how do you wish to carry? This is a huge question based on numerous factors such as laws in the location where you are carrying, why are you carrying, weather, and the activity you are planning while wearing. Several factors must be taken into consideration when wearing your handgun.

Local laws play a role in deciding how you are going to conceal your firearm. For example, in some states, open and conceal carry is legal. Thus, being highly concerned about concealment is not so much an issue. On the other hand, some states have strict concealment laws and maintaining concealment at all times is critical. So when making the decision on “How to concealed carry” the local laws must be the determining factor to making that call.

Why are you carrying? The answer is simple, in case you encounter a situation that requires you to draw your firearm. In most of those situations, you wish to use all you can to your advantage. There are five attributes you can use to your advantage in a bad situation: Situational Awareness, Stealth, Distance, Darkness and Speed. Taking these elements into consideration is one of the decisions making factors when deciding How to Carry and What Holster.

Weather is one of the major factors affecting how you are going to carry and concealment. For example, if it is winter and you are in an area where jackets and sweaters are needed then concealment becomes easier. However, as the weather warms and you are wearing shorts and tee shirts, concealment and holster stability become more concerning. So weather plays an instrumental role in determining How you are going to carry and What Holster is going to meet those needs.

The activity you are participating in plays an additional role in deciding How to carry and What Holster. Naturally, if you are only going to the mall or grocery store, then it is less likely you will be concerned with concealment and holster security. On the other hand, if you are going bike riding, running, walk in the park then it is reasonable to be more concerned about concealment and holster security.

With all these considerations in mind let’s talk about: is IWB or OWB the best way to concealed carry?

There are numerous advantages of IWB concealed carry. The best way to present them is by bullet points.

The advantages of IWB carry are:

• The holster and handgun are held close to your body
• The holster is more secure and stable
• The holster and handgun are less bulky, thus more concealable
• Less clothing or cover garments are needed
• Less likely to get caught on things such as seat belts
• It is less likely anyone will see the holster and handgun if inadvertently exposed
• The holster can be more easily adjusted to allow you to access it
• There are more locations such as appendix or even 6:00 (middle of your back) you can wear IWB

The disadvantages of IWB carry are:

• You must have pants that allow you to wear IWB
• The holster can be uncomfortable if not worn correctly
• It is more adaptable for compact and sub compact handguns
• You have less access to increased levels of retention such as thumb brakes

The advantages of OWB carry:

• It can be easier to access your handgun
• Larger selection and styles of holsters
• Can wear a larger assortment of handguns, such as full size
• Can make it easier to wear an extra magazine

The disadvantages of OWB  carry:

• Can be bulky and harder to conceal
• May need to wear more cover clothing
• Can interfere with seat belts and get caught on things
• Can be less secure to your body that IWB

So now we must decide which type of holster is best for concealed carry. This is the key to concealed carry. If you do not have an excellent holster that fits you and your handgun well, then you will be constantly adjusting it and uncomfortable.

Also Read: Survival Gear Review: Craft Leather Pancake Holster

Kydex holsters have really set the standard for IWB carry. There are so many advantages of Kydex holsters when IWB concealed carry. A list of advantages:

• Provides consistent and repeatable draw effort. This is incredibly important when practicing, wearing different attire, and being comfortable with managing your handgun
• Stays secure, will not move if running crawling on the ground, changing positions
• Does not collapse when the handgun is removed, thus making reholstering safe and easy
• Is easily removed if needed and replaced
• Easy to draw from and reduces the need for additional levels of retention
• Easy to feel secured retention when reholstering
• Highly durable
• Easy to adjust cant – and in some cases – the height of the holster attachment to your belt.

OWB holsters allow for more flexibility in the materials they are made from. Kydex holsters are equally and well proven with OWB concealed carry. Leather holsters can be equally comfortable and effective. Listed below are some key points to choosing an OWB holster for concealed carry:

• There is less concern about the holster collapsing when the handgun is removed
• You have a larger assortment of holster attachments to your belt
• You can have added levels of retention that can be more easily managed with OWB holsters
• A wider range of material may be selected for OWB holsters

So there is a lot to think about when choosing your method of carrying a handgun and the holster you select. It is not something you should take lightly, as you have read in the article there are many key factors that are very important when choosing a holster and determining your method of carry. One final note, when choosing a holster make sure you choose a holster maker with a strong commitment to quality, an excellent reputation for customer service and wide range of products. There are lots of holster makers out there and you are buying something that you may need in a life and death situation so you want the best and a holster you can count on.

All Photos by Drew and Doc Montana

The post IWB or OWB: Which is the Best Holster For Concealed Carry? appeared first on Survival Cache.

This is already the most frightening virus outbreak that we have seen in the past several decades, and it appears that it is just getting started.  A week ago, there were about 3,000 confirmed cases outside of China and now there are more than 10,000.  4,812 cases have been confirmed in South Korea, 2,036 cases have been confirmed in Italy, and 1,501 cases have been confirmed in Iran at this point.  Of course by the time you actually read this article those numbers are likely to be significantly higher.  It is like we are watching a really bad Hollywood disaster movie play out right in front of our eyes, and so far every effort to contain this virus has failed.  On Monday, Dr. Anthony Fauci stunned many people when he told NBC News that COVID-19 has likely reached “pandemic proportions”…

News of the additional deaths came after Dr Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC News on Monday that the disease had likely reached ‘pandemic proportions’ as 100 cases were confirmed across the U.S.

‘We’re dealing with an evolving situation. We’re dealing with clearly an emerging infectious disease that has now reached outbreak proportions and likely pandemic proportions,’ Dr Fauci said. ‘If you look at multiple definitions of what a pandemic is… multiple sustained transmissions of of a highly infectious agent in multiple regions of the globe.’

Dr. Fauci is definitely not an alarmist, and for him to use the word “pandemic” is a major red flag.

Last week a lot of people were pointing out that not a single American had died from this virus yet, but now six victims have died in the state of Washington alone…

Four more people have died of the coronavirus in Washington state, raising the death toll in the state and the nation to six, health officials said Monday.

Jeffrey Duchin, a health officer in King County and Seattle, said at a news conference Monday that five of the deaths were people from King County and one was from Snohomish County, north of Seattle.

If you live in the Seattle area, you need to understand that you are in the middle of a crisis zone.  As I discussed yesterday, it is likely that the virus has been circulating in that region for weeks, and each day the number of potential carriers will only get higher.

At this point, local officials are specifically warning everyone to “avoid crowded settings if possible”…

“To increase your chances of staying healthy, avoid crowded settings if possible,” King County Public Health said on Twitter. “Especially if you are over 60, or have other chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or a weakened immune system.”

There’s particular concern about the spread of the virus in nursing homes. One such  facility, Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, said in a statement that one of its residents and one of its associates have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The center is banning visitors for now.

And this doesn’t mean that you will need to change your behavior for a few days or even a few weeks.

At a minimum, if you live in the Seattle area you are going to want to avoid crowded settings for the next several months.

Of course it is just a matter of time before other major cities are facing similar outbreaks.  In recent days the number of states with confirmed cases has grown quite a bit larger…

• Arizona – 1
• California – 20
• Florida – 2
• Illinois – 4
• Massachusetts – 1
• New York – 1
• Oregon – 3
• Rhode Island – 2
• Washington state – 18 (includes 6 fatalities)
• Wisconsin – 1

Unfortunately, this list probably only represents the very small tip of a very large iceberg.  Up until just recently, the CDC was mandating that the only people that should be tested are those that have traveled to China or those that have had close contact with a known victim.  By using such restrictive criteria, the number of Americans being tested was kept extremely low, and a lot of infected people slipped through the cracks.

Now this virus has escaped containment, and authorities are telling us that “community spread” is inevitable all over the United States.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues to sweep across much of the rest of the planet like wildfire.

In Iran, the fact that a top adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei just died from the virus made headlines all over the globe…

AN adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died of coronavirus, state media reported today.

Mohammad Mirmohammadi, 71, died in hospital in Tehran as the pariah nation reels from a worsening outbreak that has left several senior officials in hospital.

But despite the fact that the number of confirmed cases in Iran is escalating at an exponential rate, and despite the fact that dozens of Iranians have already died, many Iranians continue to engage in the practice of “kissing and licking Shi’ite shrines throughout the country”…

Videos spreading on social media are showing Iranians kissing and licking Shi’ite shrines throughout the country as many call to close the shrines amid a severe coronavirus outbreak in the Islamic Republic.

The epicenter of the outbreak in Iran, Qom, is a religious city home to several shrines. The shrines remain open as some reports place the death toll in Iran in the hundreds.

Can you believe that?

We live at a time when it seems like much of the world has gone nuts.  Most people believe whatever they feel like believing, and most people do whatever they feel like doing.  But there are always consequences for our actions, and I have a feeling that this virus is going to spread particularly rapidly in the Middle East.

Here in the United States, it appears that this outbreak is far more extensive than we are being told.  As the U.S. starts to finally ramp up testing, it is inevitable that a lot more existing cases will be found.  In fact, in just a little while I will be posting an article on End Of The American Dream about an ER doctor in New York that is claiming that there is “going to be thousands” of confirmed cases inside this country by next week.

I don’t think that it is going to happen quite that rapidly, but it appears to be inevitable that the number of cases is going to be steadily rising.

This is not a drill.  This is an exceedingly dangerous virus that is killing people all over the planet, and we need to prepare for a scenario in which this crisis could extend for many months or even for several years.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

The post “Pandemic Proportions”: COVID-19 Is Starting To Spiral Out Of Control All Over The Globe appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

I can’t remember a time when we have seen such widespread “panic buying” all over the nation.  Today I spoke with someone that just visited the closest Wal-Mart in this area, and I was told that there are empty shelves all over the store.  There are very few canned goods left, some of the most essential medications have been cleaned out, and there was nothing left in the long-term storable food section at all.  Of course similar things are being reported at major retail stores all across the United States.  All of a sudden, fear of COVID-19 has motivated thousands upon thousands of Americans to start prepping like crazy.  But most of the population is still not taking this crisis seriously enough.  As the number of confirmed cases all over the world continues to rise at an exponential rate, what are the stores going to look like when most of the country finally realizes that they should be prepping for an extended pandemic?

Over the past several days, this coronavirus outbreak has escalated significantly.

From Saturday to Sunday, the number of confirmed cases in Italy jumped by 50 percent…

Italy reported a 50% increase in coronavirus cases Sunday, as the US further restricted travel and the famed La Scala opera house closed.

Italy’s Civil Protection Authority reported the country now has 1,694 confirmed coronavirus cases, up from 1,128 confirmed cases on Saturday. Thirty-four people have died.

And in Germany, the number of confirmed cases actually doubled in just 24 hours.

Here in the United States, confirmed cases are now popping up all over the nation, and we are being warned to brace for a “boom” of confirmed cases…

A “boom” of confirmed cases of the coronavirus that has now killed more than 3,000 people around the world — including two in the U.S. — could already be racing across America despite ramped-up efforts to contain the outbreak, experts say.

The spread of the virus by “community transmissions” is an indication that we could indeed be looking at the tip of the iceberg,” Ogbonnaya Omenka, an assistant professor and public health specialist at Butler University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, told USA TODAY on Sunday.

Overall, the number of confirmed cases outside of China has more than tripled over the past week.  If we continue to see that sort of a growth rate, there will be more than a million confirmed cases outside of China just five weeks from now.

I don’t think that it will happen that quickly, and let us pray that we don’t hit that number at all, but right now this outbreak is starting to spiral out of control.

As fear of this virus rises, grocery stores from coast to coast are stocking up on essential supplies in an effort “to prevent shortages”…

Now grocers are working to prevent shortages and preparing for a spike in demand for disinfectants and long-lasting items such as pasta and canned food. Some are ramping up orders from suppliers.

“This is like a natural disaster, but it’s an illness,” said Doug Baker, vice president of industry relations at FMI, a trade group for food retailers.

In the short-term, hopefully things won’t be too bad.

But without a doubt global supply chains are becoming extremely strained due to the widespread shutdowns inside of China, and that has led one analyst to predict “empty shelves in Target and Walmart as early as April”…

“Literally, empty shelves in Target and Walmart as early as April,” predicts David Iwinski, a local China business consultant who once ran a factory in China.

Most retail stores are likely to have shortages because the coronavirus in China is hampering the manufacture of products shipped to America.

If there are things that you need to go buy, you need to do it now, because thousands upon thousands of Americans are already storming the stores.

In Los Angeles, a local Costco was quickly raided of the most essential supplies when the store opened on Saturday morning…

At a Costco Wholesale market in Los Angeles Saturday morning, a swarm of shoppers loaded up carts with essential items to prepare for a possible period of quarantine.

According to the chain, water, paper towels and Clorox disinfecting wipes were the most in-demand products.

And up in northern California, photos of completely empty shelves over the weekend were rapidly shared on social media…

On social media, residents further north shared shocking photos and videos from Costco centers in San Francisco.

Shelves were depleted of tinned food, while some shoppers climbed up onto shelving in order to reach remaining supplies of rice.

Of course the exact same thing is happening in other states as well.

In Washington, one local resident claimed that “thousands of people” have been descending on the local Costco centers…

I live in the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Washington State. My advice for those elsewhere – go to Costco now. Thousands of people at local stores yesterday – not where you want to be if there is a virus spreading. Glad I went a week ago.

And one video that has been very widely shared shows hundreds of people lined up at a Costco in Brooklyn before it even opened in the morning.

Up to this point, only two people have died from the virus in the United States.

So what will things look like if thousands of people start dying?

Already, there is a worldwide shortage of protective face masks.  In fact, things have gotten so bad that Surgeon General Jerome Adams posted a tweet demanding that people stop buying them…

The surgeon general has a message for people who want to run out and stockpile masks to combat the coronavirus – don’t.

“Seriously people – STOP BUYING MASKS!” Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeted. “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!”

Personally, I don’t understand his logic.  If the masks are not effective, then why do healthcare providers need them?

Yes, the masks have limited effectiveness against a virus that is so easy to catch.  But at least they are better than nothing.

The time of “the perfect storm” is here, and this virus has the potential to greatly accelerate our problems.

We still don’t know if this will be the great global pandemic that so many have warned about, but Bill Gates certainly seems to believe that this may be the “once-in-a-century pathogen we’ve been worried about”…

Billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said the coronavirus that has killed at least 2,859 people and infected more than 83,700 globally may be the “once-in-a-century pathogen we’ve been worried about.”

“I hope it’s not that bad, but we should assume it will be until we know otherwise,” Gates wrote in an article published Friday in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Personally, I am still hoping that this outbreak will start to subside once warmer weather arrives.

But so far nothing is slowing this virus down.  As I mentioned above, the total number of cases outside of China has more than tripled over the last seven days, and that is a huge red flag.

If you need to get to the store, do it now.  Because at the rate that people are raiding the stores, there could soon be shortages of some of the most important supplies.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

The post All Of A Sudden, People All Over America Are Prepping Like Crazy appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

We have roughly 12 hours of natural light from the sun and the rest of the time we simply flip a switch and out pours a flood of artificial light. But what happens when the switch doesn’t work anymore?

Since the advent of electric lights, candles have become more of a decorative item than a tool. But anyone that has ever been caught in a blackout knows the real value of a candle.

You can purchase many “survival candles” that last 12-120 hours, but did you know that you can create a candle that will last for up to 45 days using something that you probably already have in your kitchen?

All you need is:

a 48oz tub of Crisco or smaller. The large tub will get you the 45 life span and anything smaller will burn significantly less
a spoon an old candlestick or something else that can be used as a wick

There are a few options when it comes to creating a Noah candle.  One of the first things you need to decide is if you want a candle that will burn brighter or one that will last longer.

For a longer lasting candle you will use only one wick and for a brighter candle you will use anywhere from 2-4 wicks depending on the size of the container.

Regardless of how many wicks you decide to use or the size of the Crisco tub that you choose, the directions are the same.

Take your spoon and remove a small portion of the Crisco directly in the center (for a single wick candle) if you are using an old candlestick. Then simply press the candlestick down into the shortening until it touches the bottom.  Use the shortening that was removed previously to fill in any divots.

Smooth the top of the Crisco down until it is completely flat, then trim the excess candle and wick until you only have about 1/4” of wick sticking out above the top of the shortening.

Light and enjoy.

If you are using a standalone wick, you may need to dig down to the bottom of the can in order to get the base of the wick to lie flat against the bottom of the tub.  Then simply melt the shortening and use it to fill in the hole that was left.

As a caution: the container of the Crisco is made of a paper material and as such may catch on fire if you place the wick too close to the outer edge of the tub.

Want to know more? Check out these related articles from our site:

Make an Emergency Candle Out of Butter

DIY Bacon Grease Emergency Candle

VIDEO: How to Make a Candle Out of a Crayon

Originally posted on: November 12, 2012 @ 3:45 AM

This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge. 

Nothing says ‘we’ve got this under control’ like confirming that a handful of your government’s most senior officials have caught the virus at the root of a deadly pandemic sweeping the globe.

Update (0940ET): FARS news agency reports that for former Iranian Ambassador to The Vatican has died from Covid-19.

*  *  *

After confirming on Thursday that its ‘official’ death toll from the outbreak had reached 22 with 141 cases confirmed (lawmakers have claimed that the death toll as of Monday was up to 50 in Qom alone), Iranian state media reported that the country’s vice president for women and family affairs, Masoumeh Ebtekar has tested positive for the virus.

Will A Face Mask REALLY Protect You From The Coronavirus?

She is the third senior official to be infected, alongside the Deputy Health Minister and Cleric Hadi Khosroshahi, who succumbed to pneumonia due to his advanced age.

In a recent tweet from Ebtekar’s twitter account (because seemingly every senior Iranian official including the Ayatollah is on twitter), Ebtekar, an immunologist by training, criticized hysteria and panic being propagated by news reports.

As an immunologist, the important point I would like to make is that #COVID-19 outbreak is a health issue that requires experts evidence based observations. Fake, politicized news or posting can be life threatening…
WHO & Health Ministry protocols should be taken seriously. https://t.co/mzYLYgCft4

— Massoumeh Ebtekar (@ebtekarm) February 25, 2020

Iran canceled Friday prayers in Tehran on Friday as the virus spread further in the capital city. With Iran’s economy badly damaged by sanctions that have also contributed to shortages of essential supplies including medicine and medical products, it is uniquely vulnerable to the virus’s devastation.

And the more the regime scrambles to try and contain it, the further it spreads, as Iran’s neighbors close their borders to its citizens and turn away from the Middle East’s worst virus ‘”hot spot”.

And as more government officials fall ill, we can’t help but wonder how much longer until the Ayatollah gets sick?

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME (QUARANTINE) FOR A PANDEMIC

Will A Face Mask REALLY Protect You From The Coronavirus?

Prepping For The Coronavirus: Hand Washing Is Vital

This article was originally published by Mike Adams at Natural News. 

 Following San Francisco’s state of emergency declaration yesterday, now Orange County has declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, reports Fox 11 out of Los Angeles:

Orange County officials declared a local health emergency Wednesday in response to the coronavirus, which has now infected more than 81,000 people worldwide.

Michelle Steel, chair of the County Board of Supervisors, and board Vice Chair Andrew Do made the announcement at an early afternoon
news conference.

She was quick to note “there are no current incidents reported in the county of Orange,” adding yet more confusion to the pattern that an increasing number of cities and counties are declaring emergencies for a global pandemic the entire establishment media claims will never hit America and is no big deal.

Also from Fix 11 LA:

San Diego County officials declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus on Feb. 14. Officials there stressed that the declaration was not an indication of a greater risk of contracting the virus locally, only an effort to ensure the county was prepared to respond should an outbreak occur.

The CDC has so far tested just 445 people in the entire United States since day one, a number now being tracked in real-time at Pandemic.news, with links to CDC.gov.

Pandemic.news is also putting together a detailed list of public health departments for all 50 states, along with the number of people being tested in those states. The current number for nearly all states is zero.

Korean Air flight attendant working LAX tests positive for the coronavirus

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME (QUARANTINE) FOR A PANDEMIC

Prepping For The Coronavirus: Hand Washing Is Vital

CBS News out of Los Angeles is now reporting a Korean Air flight attendant has tested positive for the coronavirus after working the LAX flight route, spanning “several flights” out of LAX.

Before being diagnosed with the coronavirus, she worked:

– A flight from Tel Aviv, Israel to Seoul, South Korea
– Multiple flights from Seoul to LAX

It’s not yet known exactly how many passengers were on those flights, but international flights typically carry 300+ passengers on each flight.

The coronavirus fiasco with the Diamond Princess cruise ship — and its ill-fate evacuation charter flights that spread the infection even further — proves the coronavirus is especially adept at infecting people who share enclosed spaces such as ships or airplanes.

It’s abundantly clear there is an uncontrolled outbreak in California right now, and only 200 people have been tested so far

What we are witnessing here is a steady increase in the number of cities and countries declaring emergencies while claiming there is no emergency.

We are told there are no community outbreaks in California, but according to the state’s Dept. of Health website page on the coronavirus, only “approximately 200 persons have been tested to date.”

Note that California doesn’t even know the exact number, and if it’s anywhere near 200, that’s shockingly small.

More than 8,000 people are currently under self-quarantine in California. Apparently, almost none of them have been tested at all.

It begs the obvious question: How is anyone going to detect coronavirus outbreaks if virtually no one is being tested for the coronavirus in America?

This is all covered in my new podcast below. Hear all podcasts, see the latest CDC numbers, and download audio MP3 files at Pandemic.news:

Knot tying has always been one of those key outdoor skills that even the most experienced survivalist’s often take for granted. Any time outdoors can often show you just how much your success or failure can depend on your ability to tie a decent knot

A good knot can save lives when you’re dealing with a survival situation, performing first aid, and when working over heights or water. But, you have to know how to tie it correctly.  Below I have listed a few very basic knots that are extremely helpful to know regardless of if you are in a life or death survival situation or simply pitching a tent on a family camping trip.

Square (Reef) Knot 

 
This Knot is a classic for connecting lines and tying knots and is often the first knot taught in cub scouts or boy scouts. Whether you are tying two ropes together to make a longer rope, or you are securing up a bundle of firewood to carry, the Square Knot is a timeless and easy knot for the job.

While this knot is as ancient as they come, it was coined as the reef knot in the late 1700’s by sailors and used in the reefing and furling of sails.

When made with cloth the knot lies very flat and for this reason it has been used in the tying of bandages for millennia. As a binding knot it was known to ancient Greeks as the Hercules knot and is still used extensively in medicine.

It has also been used since ancient times to tie belts and sashes. A modern use in this manner includes tying the obi (or belt) of a martial arts keikogi(uniform).

How to Tie:  Square knots are extremely simple to tie. You can tie a solid square knot by lapping right over left, and then tying again in the reverse direction (you will essentially create two entwined loops) See the example below:

Bowline

 

The Bowline creates a loop at the end of a rope that cannot shrink or expand.  The bowline is well known as a rescue knot for such purposes as rescuing people who might have fallen down a hole, or off a cliff onto a ledge. They would put it around themselves and sit on the loop. This makes it easy to heft them up away from danger. This knot is often taught using the story of the rabbit coming out of the hole, in front of the tree, going behind the tree, and back down his original hole.

How to Tie: Form a loop on top of the long end of the line.  Pass the free end of the line through the loop and around behind the line. Bring the free end down in the original loop, while maintaining the secondary loop which becomes your Bowline loop. Once the “rabbit” is back down his hole, pull the “tree” up and the Bowline is tightened.

 

Figure 8

 

The Figure 8 makes a stopper knot at the end of a line, and it’s necessary to use this knot in order to tie several other more complex knots. This knot is crucial for keeping a line from slipping completely away and even though it may jam when pulled tight, it is typically quick and easy to untie.

How to Tie: To tie a Figure 8 simply pass the free end of a line over itself to form a loop. Continue under and around the line’s end, and finish the knot by passing the free end down through the loop

 

 

 

Sheet Bend

 

Nothing works better for tying different types of material together and joining different thicknesses of rope. This knot even joins together lines or materials that normally couldn’t be joined together.

This is a crucial knot in a survival situation as you often will not have enough of one length of rope and may need to tie multiple lengths together.

With enough time and material this knot can also be used to create nets for catching fish.  It is so essential that the Ashley Book of Knots lists the sheet bend as knot # 1.

How to Tie: With the sheet bend, you bend the thicker or more slippery rope into a “j” shape (like a fish hook).  You then pass the other rope through the fish hook from behind, wrap around the entire fishhook once and then tuck the smaller line under itself.

 

Taut Line Hitch 

 
The Taut Line Hitch takes the place of a slide to tension or loosen a loop in a line (like a tent guy line). This knot grips well, as long as there is tension on the “taut” side of the loop. If the tension is released from the line the knot can quickly slip.  Once snug and set, the hitch can be adjusted as needed.

To tighten the line with respect to a load attached to the standing part, grasp the standing part with one hand inside of the loop and pull towards the anchor object. Grasp the hitch with the other hand and as slack develops within the loop slide the hitch away from the anchor object, taking up the slack and enlarging the loop. To loosen, slide the hitch toward the anchor object, making the loop smaller and lengthening the standing portion.

How to Tie: Create a loop by wrapping around something like a tree or tent stake. With the free end of the rope, wrap towards the stake twice.  Then wrap the free end of the rope over everything, towards you one time around the rope and cinch these wraps down tight. Pull on the standing line and the Taut Line Hitch should grip the loaded line.

These are just five knots that I find essential. I know I left many knots out and there are literally thousands of knots, each having different variations and uses.  What knot would you consider the most important in a survival situation?

P.S.  To learn more knots than I could ever hope to teach you check out the Ashley Book of Knots by clicking here. This book is a bit pricey for me so I would recommend checking the library for it first.  This book contains over 4000 knots and is considered by many to be the bible of knot tying.

Also, if you want something that you can keep in your pack to help you just in case you ever forget how to tie a certain knot or what one of them is used for, Proknots makes an outdoor knots flashcard set that contains the 17 different crucial knots that you may need. This nifty gadget comes in at around $5.00 on amazon.  Click here to check it out.

Want to know more? Check out these related articles from our site:

How to Tie A Square Knot | Instructions

How To Tie A Fishing Knot

40 Essential Knots Every Survivalist Needs to Know

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Originally posted on: November 8, 2012 @ 3:45 AM

The CDC has announced that there is a newly confirmed coronavirus case in northern California, and authorities have no idea how the victim was exposed to the virus.  This particular individual had not traveled to a foreign country lately and also had not had any contact with a known infected patient.  In other words, it appears that this individual was infected by someone that the CDC does not know about yet.  As soon as this news dropped, financial markets started freaking out and there was an explosion of speculation on social media.  Have the efforts to contain the coronavirus in the United States failed?  And if people are going this crazy even though not a single American has died from this virus yet, what is going to happen if people start dropping dead in the streets?

The global tipping point we have been waiting for has now arrived.  The number of new coronavirus cases outside of China is now surpassing the number of new coronavirus cases being reported inside China each day, and this virus continues to pop up in even more countries.  On Wednesday alone, Norway, Greece, Romania, North Macedonia, Pakistan and Brazil all reported their very first cases.  In fact, the case in Brazil was the very first to be reported in all of South America.

But most Americans don’t care too much about what is going on in the rest of the world.  What they do care about is what is happening within our own borders, and a lot of people are extremely concerned that there is now a confirmed case of “unknown” origin in northern California…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday confirmed an infection in California that would represent the first U.S. person to contract the virus despite not visiting a foreign country recently or coming in contact with an infected patient.

“At this time, the patient’s exposure is unknown,” the CDC said in a statement. “It’s possible this could be an instance of community spread of COVID-19, which would be the first time this has happened in the United States. Community spread means spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown. It’s also possible, however, that the patient may have been exposed to a returned traveler who was infected.”

This announcement came just one day after Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the CDC warned that the U.S. should get prepared for a widespread outbreak of this virus…

Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday the agency expects a sustained transmission of the virus and called for businesses, schools and communities to brace themselves and plan for potential outbreaks.

Also on Tuesday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency even though there were no publicly confirmed cases in San Francisco at the time…

“Although there are still zero confirmed cases in San Francisco residents, the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step up preparedness,” Breed said. “We see the virus spreading in new parts of the world every day, and we are taking the necessary steps to protect San Franciscans from harm.”

Is it possible that they already knew about this case of “unknown” origin in northern California on Tuesday?

And could it be possible that there are already many more cases that have not been publicly announced yet?

I understand that one of their top priorities is to keep the public calm, but the American people deserve to know if they are at risk of potentially catching a very deadly virus.

We have already seen how rapidly this virus can spread.  A week ago, there were hardly any confirmed cases in South Korea, and now there are 1,595.

In Italy, the number of confirmed cases has now risen above 400, and approximately 100,000 Italians have essentially been placed under quarantine…

Italy now has 400 cases — the largest outbreak outside Asia. And the virus is spreading across Europe, with several countries reporting their first cases, including Norway, Romania, Georgia, and North Macedonia. Many European countries are now implementing emergency measures, with Italy effectively placing 100,000 under quarantine with travel restrictions.

But as this virus continues to spread all over the planet, what are we going to do to try to contain it?

After all, we can’t exactly quarantine the entire world.

On Wednesday, President Trump continued to insist that this coronavirus outbreak is “under control”…

Trump has repeatedly downplayed the coronavirus threat, saying it was “under control.”

“The people are getting better. They’re all getting better,” Trump said Tuesday. “I think that whole situation will start working out. A lot of talent, a lot of brainpower is being put behind it.”

Hopefully his very optimistic assessment is 100 percent correct.

Hopefully this outbreak will start to fade when warmer weather arrives, and hopefully we won’t even be talking about it by the time the election rolls around in November.

But a number of experts are insisting that we truly are facing a worst case scenario.  For example, one Harvard epidemiologist is projecting that “40 to 70 percent” of the entire population of the world will get the virus…

But here’s one forecast that caught our eyes from The Atlantic. It is titled, “You’re Likely to Get the Coronavirus.” That piece quotes extensively a Harvard epidemiologist. The article describes him as a cautious professional, the kind of person who carefully considers every word and then backs it with data.

What the professor told the magazine is this: “I think the likely outcome is the coronavirus will ultimately not be containable.” He went on to predict that in the next year 40 to 70 percent of the people on Earth will be infected with coronavirus.

If his projection is accurate, tens of millions will die.

So let us hope that he is dead wrong.

And Zero Hedge has just reported on a brand new study that was just released that has discovered that this coronavirus has “an ‘HIV-like mutation’ which allows it to bind with human cells up to 1,000 times stronger than the Sars virus”…

While mainstream scientists continue to perform mental gymnastics to insist that the new coronavirus wasn’t man-made, new research from scientists in China and Europe reveal that the disease happens to have an ‘HIV-like mutation’ which allows it to bind with human cells up to 1,000 times stronger than the Sars virus, according to SCMP.

Recall that at the end of January, a team of Indian scientists wrote in a now-retracted, scandalous paper claiming that the coronavirus may have been genetically engineered to incorporate parts of the HIV genome, writing “This uncanny similarity of novel inserts in the 2019- nCoV spike protein to HIV-1 gp120 and Gag is unlikely to be fortuitous in nature,” meaning – it was unlikely to have occurred naturally.

Fast forward to new research by a team from Nankai University, which writes that COV-19 has an ‘HIV-like mutation’ that  allows it to quickly enter the human body by binding with a receptor called ACE2 on a cell membrane.

If this information is accurate, that would help to explain why this virus spreads at lightning speed once it hits a particular area.

At this moment, you might not have any confirmed cases in your area.

But by this time next week you could potentially have a thousand people walking around with the virus in your community.

So use the time that you have now to make preparations, because in the not too distant future you might be avoiding going out in public as much as possible.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

This article was originally published by Ron Paul at The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.

One thing we’ve learned from the Trump Presidency is that the “deep state” is not just some crazy conspiracy theory. For the past three years, we’ve seen that deep state launch plot after plot to overturn the election.

It all started with former CIA director John Brennan’s phony “Intelligence Assessment” of Russian involvement in the 2016 election. It was claimed that all 17 US intelligence agencies agreed that Putin put Trump in office, but we found out later that the report was cooked up by a handful of Brennan’s hand-picked agents.

Donald Trump upset the Washington apple cart as a presidential candidate and in so doing he set elements of the deep state in motion against him.

One of the things candidate Donald Trump did to paint a deep state target on his back was his repeated praise of Wikileaks, the pro-transparency media organization headed up by Australian journalist Julian Assange. More than 100 times candidate Trump said “I love Wikileaks” on the campaign trail.

Trump loved it when Wikileaks exposed the criminality of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party, as it cheated to deprive Bernie Sanders of the Democratic Party nomination. Wikileaks’ release of the DNC emails exposed the deep corruption at the heart of US politics, and as a candidate, Trump loved the transparency.

Then Trump got elected.

The real tragedy of the Trump presidency is nowhere better demonstrated than in Trump’s 180 degree turn away from Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange. “I know nothing about Wikileaks,” he said as president. “It’s really not my thing.”

US pressure and bribes to the Ecuadorian government ended Assange’s asylum and his seven years in a room at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. After his dramatic arrest by London’s Metropolitan Police last April, he has been effectively tortured in British jails at the behest of the US deep state.

The Trump administration argues that the Australian Assange should be tried and convicted of espionage against a country of which he is not a citizen. At the same time the Trump administration argues that the First Amendment does not apply to Assange because he is not an American citizen! So Assange is subject to US law when it comes to publishing information embarrassing to the US deep state but he is not subject to the law of the land – the US Constitution – which protects all journalists and is the backbone of our system of government.

It is ironic that a President Trump who has been the victim of so much deep state meddling has done the deep state’s bidding when it comes to Assange and Wikileaks. President Trump should preempt the inevitable US show trial of Assange by granting the journalist blanket pardon under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

The deep state Trump is serving by persecuting Assange is the same deep state that continues to plot Trump’s own ouster. Free Assange!