Technology
Solar Flares Could Be Directed At Earth Over The Next Week
On Tuesday, I blogged about the recent surge in strong solar flares popping-up on the Sun. Luckily, those X-class flares were not Earth-directed. If they were, well, things could have gotten ugly on the “third rock from the Sun” if those flares had been accompanied by a coronal mass ejection, or CME. From an August 16, 2011, post:
The real danger comes when a solar storm ejects a chunk of the corona — the sun’s outermost layer — toward the Earth. It hurtles through space as a huge electrically charged cloud with its own magnetic field. Scientists call it a “coronal mass ejection.”
With an Earth-bound CME, magnetic storms here on Earth could cause electric surges that fry electrical systems and hardware.
Lights out.
Well, the Japanese are now warning about the potential for new solar flares to be directed at the Earth in the coming days. From Jay Alabaster on the PCWorld website Thursday morning:
A Japanese government institute has warned that satellite transmissions, GPS readings, and power lines could be affected over the next two weeks if a recent spate of solar flares continues.
Four large solar flares have been detected over the last few days, including one on Tuesday that was the largest of the year. The flares were judged to be “X-class” by NASA and other agencies, the highest in a linear scale based on X-ray measurements.
Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, or NICT, said the flares came from a group of sunspots that are pointed away from the Earth, but are due to rotate to face in the Earth’s direction over the next week. NICT said that if more major flares occur during that time, there could be problems for satellites and other equipment.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Hopefully, no coronal mass ejections will be heading our way along with one of these flares. Or any other time, for that matter.
It’s been estimated that a severe solar storm could cause $1 trillion to $2 trillion in losses the first year, and take 4 to 10 years to fully recover from.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
Alabaster, Jay. “Japan warns solar flares could harm GPS, satellites, power lines.” PCWorld. 16 May 2013. (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2038887/japan-warns-solar-flares-could-harm-gps-satellites-power-lines.html). 17 May 2013.
3 Powerful X-Class Flares Erupt From Sun In Last 24 Hours
“Solar flares are giant explosions on the Sun that send energy, light and high speed particles into space. These flares are often associated with CMEs. The number of solar flares increases approximately every 11 years, and the Sun is currently moving towards another solar maximum, likely in 2013… The biggest flares are known as “X-class flares” based on a classification system that divides solar flares according to their strength… If they’re directed at Earth, such flares and associated CMEs can create long lasting radiation storms that can harm satellites, communications systems and even ground-based technologies and power grids.”
-Mark Paquette, in his Astronomy Blog on AccuWeather.com, August 10, 2011
A number of strong solar flares have been popping-off on the Sun in the last 24 hours. From the website of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
Original Story: May 13
On May 12, 2013, the sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 10 p.m. EDT. This flare is classified as an X1.7, making it the first X-class flare of 2013. The flare was also associated with another solar phenomenon, called a coronal mass ejection (CME) that can send solar material out into space. This CME was not Earth-directed.
First Update: May 13, 1:30 p.m. EDT
On May 13, 2013, the sun emitted an X2.8-class flare, peaking at 12:05 p.m. EDT. This is the the strongest X-class flare of 2013 so far, surpassing in strength the X1.7-class flare that occurred 14 hours earlier. It is the 16th X-class flare of the current solar cycle and the third-largest flare of that cycle.
Second Update: May 13, 3:30 p.m. EDT
The X2.8-class flare was also associated with a coronal mass ejection, or CME, another solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space, which can potentially affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground. The CME was not Earth-directed.
Third Update: May 14, 9 a.m. EDT
The sun emitted a third significant solar flare in under 24 hours, peaking at 9:11 p.m. EDT on May 13, 2013. This flare is classified as an X3.2 flare. This is the strongest X-class flare of 2013 so far, surpassing in strength the two X-class flares that occurred earlier in the 24-hour period.
The flare was also associated with a coronal mass ejection, or CME. The CME began at 9:30 p.m. EDT and was not Earth-directed.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
I first blogged about solar flares and CMEs- and the potential dangers associated with them- back in August 2011.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
“Three X-class Flares in 24 Hours.” NASA. 14 May 2013. (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/News051213-flare.html). 14 May 2013.
Chicago Suburb Has Electronic Devices Fried When Power Restored After Outage
Last week the power unexpectedly went out one evening in my Chicago neighborhood. While I busted out some of my preps (various modes of lighting, emergency radio, a new battery-powered portable fan for circulating air), I also took the time to turn off and unplug various power strips into which a number of major electronic devices are plugged into.
Maybe it’s a good thing I’ve gotten myself into the habit of doing this. From the website of Chicago CBS affiliate Channel 2 on March 14:
Darn raccoons.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Lights Out To Become A Feature Film?
Anyone ever read David Crawford’s post-apocalyptic novel Lights Out? I did. Great book. And it could be coming to the silver screen soon as well. I received the following yesterday afternoon regarding an Indiegogo.com Crowdfunding Campaign for the project:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DAVID CRAWFORD’S REVOLUTIONARY INTERNET BEST-SELLER “LIGHTS OUT” TO BECOME A FEATURE FILM
PRODUCED BY REEL EQUITY FUNDING & ATLANTA’S BUG-OUT BAG PRODUCTIONS,
DIRECTED BY THE BROTHERS YOUNG
Action-Packed, Post- Apocalyptic Prepper Novel Has Been Downloaded Over Three Million Times
Indiegogo.com Crowdfunding Campaign Launches Today at
www.indiegogo.com/projects/lights-out-saga / www.lightsoutsaga.comMarch 18, 2013 – ATLANTA – David Crawford’s wildly-successful, action-packed, post-apocalyptic novel LIGHTS OUT (lightsoutthebook.com) will soon become a feature film executive produced by Reel Equity Funding, Inc. (REF) and Atlanta-based Bug-Out Bag Productions (bugoutbagproductions.com). Downloaded over three million times, the novel has been championed by America’s growing “prepper” and 2nd Amendment Rights communities. The Brothers Young will direct the film, with pre-production and casting to start immediately in Atlanta. REF and Bug-Out Bag Productions recently wrapped production on feature film “Remnants,” with Tom Sizemore.
LIGHTS OUT’s Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign (indiegogo.com/projects/lights-out-saga) launches today, with a set goal of $175,000 for production costs. In exchange for contributions, the filmmakers and supporters 5.11 Tactical, Noveske Shooting Team, AR15.com, Airsoft Extreme, and Mystery Ranch are providing perks such as personal thank you’s; Limited Edition DVDs; 5.11 Tactical Rush 12 Backpacks; and special mentions in the film credits just to name a few. In addition, for the first 48 hours of the campaign, all contributors who donate $50 or more will receive a limited edition Challenge Coin (after that, the Coin is only reserved for Legend Level donors). The campaign runs through April 21.
In the tradition of “The Walking Dead,” the film LIGHTS OUT examines how a group of everyday middle-class Americans copes with a worldwide disaster that takes down the nation’s electrical grid, flips all technology off, and throws the country into a harrowing, fend-for-yourself downward spiral – as currently anticipated by preppers and planned for by the CDC, FEMA, and others. The story focuses on suburban accountant, karate instructor, and hunting enthusiast Mark Turner, who must find the strength within to unite his family, friends, and neighbors if any of them are to survive the harsh reality of life as the veneer of civilization strips away.
Initially shared by readers from a variety of prepper and gun enthusiast online communities – including AR15.com, BackwoodsHome.com, FrugalSquirrels.com, and TheSurvivalPodcast.com — this popular serialized novel was ultimately collected and published in December 2010…
I understand the first 48 hours of the Indiegogo.com Crowdfunding Campaign ends tonight, Tuesday, March 19, at midnight. So if you’re planning on donating over $50 to the project and want that limited edition Challenge Coin…
More information can be found on the Lights Out funding page on Indiegogo here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
North Korea Capable Of Crippling U.S. With Super-EMP Weapon?
“A furious North Korea threatened Thursday to attack America with nuclear weapons as punishment for perceived Western aggression – saber-rattling that came as the United Nations readied more sanctions against the Kim Jung-un’s rogue regime.
An unnamed spokesman in Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry office said North Korea will launch “a preemptive nuclear attack to destroy the strongholds of the aggressors,” The Associated Press reports.
The spokesman referred to Washington as being the aggressor in a nuclear attack on North Korea, AP states.”
-The Washington Times, March 7, 2013
The last time I blogged about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear warfare capabilities was on January 27. From that post:
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has been doing a lot of saber-rattling since I last blogged about the Communist state last month. At that time, I asked:
So what kind of timeframe are we talking about here before North Korea has an ICBM capable of reaching and hitting the continental U.S.?
Based on expert opinion, it could just be 4 short years.
And how does America know North Korea’s intentions are to target it with nuclear weapons? Ju-min Park and Choonsik Yoo reported on the Reuters’ website last Thursday:
North Korea said on Thursday it would carry out further rocket launches and a nuclear test that would target the United States, dramatically stepping up its threats against a country it called its “sworn enemy”…
“We are not disguising the fact that the various satellites and long-range rockets that we will fire and the high-level nuclear test we will carry out are targeted at the United States,” North Korea’s National Defence Commission said, according to state news agency KCNA.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Park and Yoo added:
North Korea is not believed to have the technology to deliver a nuclear warhead capable of hitting the continental United States, although its December launch showed it had the capacity to deliver a rocket that could travel 10,000 km (6,200 miles), potentially putting San Francisco in range, according to an intelligence assessment by South Korea.
Now, the above discussion focused on a nuclear attack against the United States with intercontinental ballistic missiles as they’re traditionally-intended to be used.
However, earlier this week I stumbled upon material which suggests North Korea may already have the capability to cripple America via unconventional nuclear warfare.
Enter Dr. Peter Vincent Pry, Executive Director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security and Director of the U.S. Nuclear Strategy Forum, both congressional advisory boards. Dr. Pry, a former intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, wrote on the Family Security Matters website on February 26:
The West consistently and unwittingly cooperates with North Korea and Iran by underestimating the advancement, sophistication, and strategic implications of their nuclear weapon and missile programs.
Despite North Korea’s successful long-range missile test in December 2012, and now its third successful nuclear test on February 12, 2013, the Obama administration and the press keep reassuring the American people that North Korea is not yet a fully fledged nuclear weapons state – that a North Korean nuclear missile threat to the United States is still years in the future.
The facts do not support this judgment. North Korea is already a major nuclear threat to the United States–an existential threat.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Dr. Pry went on to say:
North Korea now appears to be armed with a FOBS capability to make a surprise nuclear attack against the United States–or against any and all nations on Earth–with Super-EMP.
FOBS? Super-EMP? The author of Apocalypse Unknown: The Struggle To Protect America From An Electromagnetic Pulse Catastrophe explained:
A Super-EMP warhead is a nuclear weapon specially designed to produce an enormous burst of gamma rays that generates an extraordinarily powerful electromagnetic pulse, capable of destroying even the best protected electronics, thereby paralyzing military forces and blacking out power grids and collapsing critical infrastructures everywhere–across an entire nation the size of the United States…
During the Cold War, the USSR experimented with a secret weapon, the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS), that used an ICBM like a Space Launch Vehicle to put a nuclear warhead into orbit, like a satellite. Instead of using the ICBM to lob the warhead on a more accurate arcing ballistic trajectory, flying along the shortest range to target, like an artillery shell, the FOBS lofted the warhead into a “fractional” or partial orbit, sacrificing accuracy for limitless range.
FOBS could reach any nation or threaten any target anywhere on Earth.
A Super-EMP warhead does not weigh much, and could probably be delivered by North Korea’s Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, successfully tested in December 2012, against any nation on Earth. Thus, North Korea already possesses an ICBM and poses a mortal nuclear threat to the United States, and to all nations on Earth–right now.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Real disturbing stuff. Even more so now that the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Thursday for tougher sanctions against North Korea.
You can read Dr. Pry’s warning about the North Korean Super-EMP threat in its entirety on the Family Security Matters website here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Chicago Transit Authority’s 21 Percent Jump In Reported Crime Brings Video Surveillance Cameras Into Focus
Video surveillance cameras are thought to be incredibly-effective deterrents to criminal activity. Over time, image resolution has improved, while costs have come down, leading to a proliferation of these devices all over America’s urban landscape.
Yet, a new analysis of such cameras and reported crime at Chicago Transit Authority rail stations probably has some wondering just how effective they really are in the fight against crime.
Art Golab and Rosalind Rossi reported on the Chicago Sun-Times website yesterday afternoon:
Even with $26 million in high-resolution cameras finally in full force last year, reported crime at CTA rail stations rose 21 percent, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis shows.
And compared with 2010 — well before most of the CTA’s current 3,600 rail station cameras were installed — station crime was up 32 percent…
The good news is that while overall crime is up, violent crime is down 30 percent. And when all reported crime is counted, Chicago is close to achieving swift arrests in two of every three station crimes.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Via comments over at Second City Cop this morning, I hear at least one Chicago media outlet is running the same story as violent crime is down 30 percent on CTA trains.
Can’t say I’m really too surprised to find that out.
Golab and Rossi talked about the criminal activity in more detail. From the piece:
Also worth noting: Only five percent of CTA station crimes were categorized as “violent” by the FBI — ranging from murder to rape to strong-arm robbery — and such offenses dropped a substantial 30 percent between 2011 and 2012, the Sun-Times found. However, the arrest rate for those crimes also fell four percentage points over that period.
Other station crimes — a category that includes cell phone thefts, purse-snatchings, fare evasion, simple assault and drug crimes — were up 26 percent.
Combined with “violent” crimes, that translates into a 21 percent overall increase in station crime across the system’s 145 rail stations.
Sucks to hear criminal activity has picked up on the CTA. Then again, seeing that my girlfriend was recently pick-pocketed aboard one of their buses, I can’t say that I’m shocked.
Are video surveillance cameras effective deterrents to crime? I’m guessing they are. Will the cameras put an end to criminal activity like some politicians may want you to believe? No way- if only because there will always be criminals who just don’t care they’re being filmed while carrying out their dirty deeds.
Don’t let a location full of security cameras lull you into a false sense of security. Remember- you and you alone are ultimately responsible for your personal safety.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
Golab, Art and Rossi, Rosalind. “More CTA cameras haven’t stopped increase in crime.” Chicago Sun-Times. 25 Feb. 2013. (http://www.suntimes.com/18393808-761/more-cta-cameras-havent-stopped-increase-in-crime.html). 26 Feb. 2013.
Signs Of The Time, Part 59
While I admire U.S. Vice President Joe Biden for his long-time service to our country and the passion he’s brought to the various positions he’s held through the years, I was put off by a tyrannical-sounding comment he reportedly made last night while asking House Democrats to keep fighting for gun “control” during their retreat in Lansdowne, Virginia. Kate Nocera wrote on the POLITICO website yesterday:
He told the members attending the retreat that he was unwavering in his belief that the recommendations the task force has put forward are not in violation of the Second Amendment.
“It is clearly within the right of the government to determine what type of weapons can be owned by the public.”
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Unfortunately for the Vice President, the fact is, it is not “clearly within the right of the government to determine what type of weapons can be owned by the public.”
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reads:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
First off, there’s that phrase “shall not be infringed.”
Secondly, no mention is made of what types of “Arms” the people could- or could not- “keep and bear.” Handgun, shotgun, rifle. Or for those who like to point out the Founding Fathers had no idea of just how far firearm technology would advance by the 21st century- pistol, blunderbuss, musket, rifle. Not a peep.
“Clearly?” Far from it.
Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
Nocera, Kate. “Joe Biden pushes House Dems on gun control.” POLITICO. 6 Feb. 2013. (http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/joe-biden-pushes-house-dems-on-gun-control-87298.html#ixzz2KG6FPq00). 7. Feb. 2013.
Doomsday Prepper Peter Larson’s Underground Shelter
Fans of the National Geographic Channel hit TV show Doomsday Preppers- remember Peter Larson? Larson appeared in the series pilot back in the summer of 2011. I blogged back then:
The Larson family- Peter Larson lives with his wife, children, and grandchildren in a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah. Fearing a nuclear strike (it looks as if Peter is describing an electromagnetic pulse attack in the show), the Larsons have constructed a Rocky Mountain retreat for twelve. For those of you who don’t know what an EMP attack is, it’s when a nuclear device is detonated in the atmosphere, where it’s theorized the resulting electromagnetic pulse generated by the blast will “fry” microchips at the heart of electronic devices, rendering them useless.
Well, Mr. Larson is back in the spotlight again these days. From the CNN website last night:
Inside a Doomsday Prepper bunker
Gary Tuchman talks to a peaceful man in Utah who is proud to call himself a survivalist. He built an elaborate $65,000 bunker stocked with supplies, money and weapons. Watch this up close look at his hideout.
Nice setup. And nicely done by Gary Tuchman and CNN, considering the number of hack-job pieces out there these days on underground shelters and their owners.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
On TV: Doomsday Preppers ‘Taking From The Haves’ Review
Sorry for getting this review of episode 5 (season 2) of National Geographic Channel’s Doomsday Preppers TV series out a little later than usual, but I’ve been tied up with other things. “Taking From the Haves,” which aired Tuesday night, December 4, featured four preppers- John Adrain, Jeff Bushaw, and neighbors Allen and Franco.
John Adrain
During the first part of the show viewers were introduced to John Adrain, an inventor living in the Pacific Northwest with his two dogs. According to John:
I am preparing for the unexpected.
From the show:
John’s not sure which “doomsday” scenario will play out first- a supervirus, biological terrorist attacks, natural disaster. But he’s certain something’s coming. And since travel is often restricted in states of emergency, “bugging out” is the absolute last resort in John’s survival plan.
As such, the episode focused on John and his large fortified home in which he plans to “bug in.” From the show:
His primary goal is to turn his home into a technological fortress, in which he can keep rampaging survivors at bay.
John told viewers:
It doesn’t matter how many preps you have if you can’t protect them from others. Because the “have nots” are going to be taking from the “haves.”
John is shown trying out a .50 caliber long-range rifle called the Beowulf, upgrading the internal/external security of his home, showing off some home security gadgets he invented such as the Burglar Blaster and BedBunker, and practicing some home invasion drills during the remainder of the segment.
Jeff Bushaw
In the second part of the show, viewers were introduced to Jeff Bushaw, a full-time prepper living in Vancouver, Washington. According to Jeff:
I’m preparing for the Yellowstone supervolcano that may end the world as we know it.
From the show:
Yellowstone National Park’s majestic vistas, diverse wildlife, and impressive geysers draw more than 3 million visitors each year. But underneath the seeming tranquility of the park lurks an active supervolcano, one so large that that should it ever blow, the force of the super eruption could be as if 1,000 Hiroshima-size atomic bombs were going off every second … The force of the blast is likely to annihilate everything in the immediate vicinity. Even though Jeff lives more than 800 miles away from Yellowstone, he still doesn’t feel safe. That’s because the supervolcano could spew enough smoldering ash into the atmosphere to bury half of the United States at least several inches deep.
Besides the immediate loss of life and property from such an eruption, the episode noted:
Scientists believe it could take a decade for vegetation in parts of the Midwest to recover from the damage done by the massive ash clouds. Jeff fears the volcano will devastate crops, leading to food shortages throughout the U.S.
Fearing the effects of a “volcanic winter,” Jeff, along with son Hayden, are shown preparing for such an event, socking away food, participating in storage unit auctions in the hope they’ll find valuable preps, practicing bug-out drills, and taking flying lessons to give them the option of bugging out via plane should it come to that.
Allen and Franco
In the last part of the episode, two “neighbors” in Southwest Missouri were introduced. First up, Allen is an electrical engineer and veteran prepper with more than thirty years of experience. Allen said:
I’m preparing for an economic decline of the U.S. economy.
From the show:
Allen worries that the economy is failing, and that as the dollar’s value declines, food prices will skyrocket out of control.
Next, there’s Franco, a master electrician and newer prepper. Franco told viewers:
I’m preparing for the rise of food costs, food shortages, and the corruption of the food supply through big business.
Both Allen and Franco plan on “bugging in” when the food shortages come, but not after they’ve taken charge of their own food production via aquaponics. From the show:
In aquaponic systems, fish and plants are grown together in a closed environment, where the fish waste is converted into food for the plants. The fish excrete waste and ammonia into the water. That water is pumped into the grow beds, where bacteria convert the waste into nitrogen, which the plants use as fertilizer. As the plants use the nitrates, they filter the water, which is then sent back to the fish tanks, completing the circle.
While a challenge to maintain, the results are impressive.
“Doomsday Preppers: Prepper Profile: Franco and Allen”
Nat Geo Channel Video
My thoughts about Doomsday Preppers “Taking From the Haves”:
• While John Adrain’s “technological fortress” is amazing, I wonder how effective it would be in a long-term, grid-down event. His security system is comprised of an electronically-controlled entry gate, a computerized command center, 12 high-definition surveillance cameras, and a front door with sophisticated recognition software, among other things. Does Adrain have enough back-up power to operate this technology should the utilities go down for an extended period of time? And what if a device malfunctions or breaks?
• “But if the attackers come in multiple vehicles and penetrate the gate, John wants to be able to engage them at a distance before they cover the 1,000 feet from the gate to his front door.” Enter the Beowulf, a .50 caliber rifle that Adrain’s weapons guy Bill Alexander brought to the party. Three words. I LIKE IT!
• Another security feature of John Adrain’s fortified home is that its windows are coated with something he called “embassy tint,” a strong film that holds glass together in case it shatters. I’ve done a little bit of research on window security film, and from what I’ve seen via the Internet, the technology is pretty impressive. So much so I’d consider using it on my future residence.
• Adrain busted out some of his inventions in the episode. The Burglar Blaster is a self-contained electronic OC (oleoresin capsicum) spray anti-burglar system. When the infrared detector is tripped, the Burglar Blaster releases OC pepper spray in the immediate area, chasing away the intruder. The BedBunker is a concealed safe that replaces a bed boxspring. Another of Adrain’s inventions shown but not really discussed was the ConsoleBunker, an all-aluminum vehicle center console for storing firearms. The ConsoleBunker is tied in with the vehicle’s factory door locks and has a timing mechanism that prevents unauthorized access. Really neat and useful stuff.
Now I see how John can afford the big house and nice toys.
• In the segment with Jeff Bushaw, the Vancouver, Washington-based prepper was shown taking flying lessons in the event he and his family needed to bug out from the effects of a Yellowstone National Park supervolcano eruption. However, from what I recall, the show never mentioned Bushaw owning a plane. If he doesn’t, and an eruption did take place with an ash cloud headed his way, it might be difficult- if not impossible- to rent a plane in that type of situation. From looking at a map of Vancouver, I can’t help but wonder if he shouldn’t plan on bugging out of the area via ean-going boat.
• Speaking of maps, here’s a link to a 2007 FOX News web article with one showing (right arrow to slide 2) where ash fell from previous Yellowstone National Park supervolcano eruptions.
• In the segment with neighbors Allen and Franco, both preppers were shown riding scooters. While attending the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in the early nineties, these were cherished forms of transportation for many broke-ass college students such as myself (I didn’t own one, but could be seen riding on the back of one from time to time. That must have been a scary sight.) . I wouldn’t be surprised if some preppers/survivalists are including scooters/mopeds in their preps, especially if they anticipate an energy crunch and sky-high gasoline prices down the road.
• Like the preceding Doomsday Preppers episode, this one had its gross-out moment when Franco ingested one his red wigglers. Classic line by his young daughter though:
I’d rather drink pee.
• I found the following particular interesting in the “Assessment” portion of the final segment:
PRACTICAL PREPPERS LLC: You currently lack weapons, and have no tactical training. Without them, you will be unable to protect your home in a crisis.
FRANCO: Yeah, you’re right about the weapons. I do not possess them nor do I plan on possessing them. It’s not what I believe in.
To each their own. But considering what a juicy target he, his family, and his food could be in a real SHTF situation, I just hope Franco’s got something else up his sleeve to deal with those with weapons wanting what he has.
New episodes of Doomsday Preppers air on the National Geographic Channel on Tuesday nights at 9 PM Eastern Time.
4 Years Until North Korea Has ICBM That Can Reach Continental United States?
As if Iranian nuclear weapons weren’t already a worry for us (and more so Israel), now the North Koreans are one step closer to having an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the continental United States. Jack Kim and Mayumi Negishi reported on the Reuters website this morning:
North Korea successfully launched a rocket on Wednesday, boosting the credentials of its new leader and stepping up the threat the isolated and impoverished state poses to opponents.
The rocket, which North Korea says put a weather satellite into orbit, has been labeled by the United States, South Korea and Japan as a test of technology that could one day deliver a nuclear warhead capable of hitting targets as far away as the continental United States.
According to Kim and Negishi, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) verified the North Koreans’ claims.
And here’s something that’s particularly worrisome- if it’s true. From the article:
U.S. intelligence has linked North Korea with missile shipments to Iran. Newspapers in Japan and South Korea have reported that Iranian observers were in the North for the launch, something Iran has denied.
Great. Just great.
So what kind of timeframe are we talking about here before North Korea has an ICBM capable of reaching and hitting the continental U.S.?
Well, Elisabeth Bumiller and David Sanger reported on The New York Times website back on January 11, 2001:
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates warned Tuesday that North Korea was within five years of being able to strike the continental United States with an intercontinental ballistic missile, and said that, combined with its expanding nuclear program, the country “is becoming a direct threat to the United States.”
Mr. Gates is a former director of the C.I.A., and his statement, officials said, reflected both a new assessment by American intelligence officials and his own concern that Washington had consistently underestimated the pace at which the North was developing nuclear and missile technologies.
Considering that statement was made almost a year ago, it could be only 4 years before North Korea is able to hit the continental U.S. via a nuclear-armed missile.
From an AFP piece this morning:
“This launch certainly bolsters their credibility when they say that they have missiles that can strike the United States,” said James Schoff, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“It’s harder to wave that off after a successful test like this,” said Schoff, a former Pentagon official.
It looks to me that the United States is most likely looking at a nuclear-armed Iran and an ICBM-armed North Korea down the road.
Sources:
Kim, Jack and Negishi, Mayumi. “North Korea launches rocket, raising nuclear arms stakes.” Reuters. 12 Dec. 2012. (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/12/us-korea-north-rocket-idUSBRE8BB02K20121212). 12 Dec. 2012.
Bumiller, Elisabeth and Sanger, David E. “Gates Warns of North Korea Missile Threat to U.S.” The New York Times. 11 Jan. 2011. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/world/asia/12military.html?_r=0). 12 Dec. 2012.
“North Korea rocket raises nuclear stakes, poses threat to US: Analysts.” Agence France-Presse. 12 Dec. 2012. (http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/asia/story/n-korea-rocket-raises-nuclear-stakes-analysts-20121212). 12 Dec. 2012.
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