Many household chemicals, like paint stripper, are noxious and highly flammable.  In an emergency these chemicals could start a fire.

The Citizen Corps of America recommends that you use the LIES system for storing household chemicals.

L.imit the amount of chemicals you have on hand

I.solate the chemicals so they can’t harm you or your family

E.liminate rags and used chemical containers that could be fuels for fires

S.eperate chemicals that could react together i.e. don’t put caustic chemicals next to flammable chemicals!

Food grade buckets are the only safe way to store water in the long term, but they can be expensive or hard to find locally.

Here is a tip, ask your local restaurants (particularly fast food chains) to save a few used food grade buckets for you.  Fast food restaurants ship things like pickles in these buckets;  most restaurant managers will be more than happy to help and will likely give them to you for free as they just throw them out.

If the containers smell like the food they once stored, simply let them soak for a few days in a baking soda and water solution before you rinse and sanitize the buckets.

Security doors are a worthwhile investment for any home but can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars.  The OnGARD door barrier system is not a substitute for a quality door in my opinion but can significantly increase your homes resistance to intrusion.   Check it out!

Oddly enough, I think my grandmother may have invented this back in the late 80′s or early 90′s.  She drilled a hole in her floor and would stick a giant screwdriver in there to stop the door LOL!

During a disaster it is important to know what roads will be used for evacuation purposes ahead of time.  You can contact your local emergency management office, fire station, or law enforcement officials to get a copy of your city’s evacuation plans.

If your city doesn’t have a plan, be sure to find out why and contact your local government and ask them to resolve the issue.

p.s. If you live in the suburbs be sure to know what routes will be used by people living in the nearby metropolis!

Having a rescue hook, like this one, could save your life.  Rescue hooks are designed to help emergency responders easily cut victims loose from seat belts and other materials that could be trapping a victim in a dangerous situation.  Many hooks, like this one, come with safety window punches.

Having a rescue hook could mean the difference when you need to free yourself in a hurry.

p.s. Be sure you buy from a reputable knife company like Benchmade, CRKT, SOG, Victornox, or Cold Steel.  You can find cheaper products on the market, but you will get what you pay for.

Emergencies like hurricanes and earthquakes can disrupt municipal water service fast so you should be prepared.  In the event of an emergency be sure to fill up all the water containers in your house including plastic ware, all of your sinks, and even your bath tub.

While it may not be an appetizing thought to drink water from your washing machine or toilet tank, having enough water on hand for hydration and sanitation could save your life.

President Obama is now asking congress for the authority to streamline the government by absorbing several smaller agencies into a yet unnamed office; has the President changed his stripes or is this simply political jockeying?

The President is proposing several smaller agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Office be folded into the new department while others like the small Business Administration will become cabinet-level organizations.  Obama claims this is all in the name of efficiency but before the libertarians and conservatives rejoice, remember that super-departments have their own set of efficiency  and size problems; does the Department of Homeland Security come to mind? Anyone?

Has Obama simply changed his mind on big government or his he trying to take the moral high ground in an election that will be about the size and scope of the government?  Even if this undertaking is a failure he can at least point to the proposal as an attempt to appease the conservative base thus becoming a champion of bi-partisanship (at least that is what his campaign buttons will say).

And fail, this undertaking will.  Congressional Obama hating aside, giving the president more power and authority may be a hard sell to the Conservative factions in Congress.

Is this just one more slick trick in the Obama arsenal or is this a meaningful attempt at reform? What do you think?

Although the last U.S. convoy left Iraq a few weeks ago, today is being heralded as Iraq Day in the middle eastern nation as the official deadline for the American withdrawal has finally arrived but are the Iraqi’s ready for it?

Violence is once again on the rise in Iraq, the government seems incompetent, many militants have not been disarmed, and the deep divisions within that society have not been addressed.  The premature and politically motivated American withdrawal from Iraq will come at a great cost to the Iraqi people.

After a year of tumultuous and tragic political gridlock, is it really any surprise that the American withdrawal from Iraq be as equally ill conceived?

Hopefully 2012 will be a more reasonable and politically viable year but I wouldn’t count on it.

Happy New Years,

-Mark

In observance of the holidays, I will be taking the next few nights off and so there will be now Saturday posting this week.  I would like to sincerely extend a heartfelt greeting to you and yours this holiday season!

Sincerely,

-Mark

The Next Korean Iron Man? Photo by 北韓官方媒體

With the passing of Kim Jong-il, the North Korean crown has been passed to Kim Jong-il’s 28 year old son, Kim Jong-un, and the question on everyone’s mind is what will happen next.

Kim Jong-un has been described as being very similar to his father, competitive, and a fan of basketball. While Kim Jong-un did study in Switzerland, most accounts claim that he was not greatly affected by the experience.

In 2010, as an effort to bolster his leadership credentials, Kim Jong-un was promoted to the rank of general despite never serving in the military. Jong-un’s inexperience and lack of credentials could cause friction with the military ruling elite and without military support he could relegated to little more ceremonial role than actual leader.  The lack of military support could also result in a military coup.

As a new dictator, Jong-un, will likely try to cement his status as leader by demonstrating his willingness to take bold action; this could result in another round of high profile military drills near the South Korean border or an equally frighting nuclear weapons test.  Jong-un will almost certainly have to take such action to not only shore up support within the military but to also demonstrate his power on the international stage.

It is also important to remember that Kim Jong-un was not Kim Jong Il’s first choice for succession; hi s eldest son, Kim Jong-nam was, but After an embarrassing trip to Disney World Tokyo, Jong-nam was passed over.  While Jong-nam has never seemed to express an interest in becoming the next leader of the North Korean hermit state, that doesn’t mean that a dynastic power struggle coudln’t occur.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there will likely be some level of defection from within the government and from the people.  Political rivals or the North Korean people could choose to test the resolve of the new leader in the ensuing months and attempt to defect en masse.

On the international level, opponents could view this succession as an opportunity to force the condom nation into reform.  Interested parties could, effectively, destabilize the North Korean regime by encouraging defection, human rights protests, and by forcing even more stringent sanctions on an inexperienced leader. The North Korean government has proven time and time again that it is more than willing to meet such challenges with violence, and while that would be regrettable, a window of opportunity like this will not present itself again anytime soon.

While Kim apologists like Robert Egan see Kim Jong-un’s succession as an opportunity to forge new relationships with the most isolated nation in the world, the reality is little will change.  Jong-un is not a reformist and is as unfit a leader as his father was.