Odds and Sods

Not actually Erin.

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

David Blackard calls these "Buffet Posts": articles which are just collections of topics that by themselves aren't enough to warrant a full post. Throw enough of them together and what you get is something that's at least filling and hopefully tasty.

National Preparedness Month

September is, you guessed it, National Preparedness Month according to Congress and FEMA. I don't normally think to mention it, because to me and to most of our readers Emergency Preparedness is something we think about all the time, not just once a year. However, not everyone does that, which is why prepper are seen as odd sorts... at least until disaster strikes. 

The resources on the site are pretty sparse as far you or I are concerned. But it's a good source of entry-level information for family and friends who are new to prepping, especially for those who think it's paranoid to prepare for emergencies. You can point at this website and say "Look, even the government says we should be prepared!"

Aches and Pains

I'm at that age now where I just wake up with spontaneous pains in various muscles and joints, and from what I can tell it seems like that's only going to get worse until I die. To that end I have added the following over-the-counter remedies to my preps, including my Get Home and Bug Out Bags, and I recommend you do the same if you're over 40 or prone to similar discomfort. 

Voltaren is a topical NSAID pain reliever that until a few years ago was prescription only, and now can be bought in generic form as Diclofenac. While it can be used for most aches, I find that it works best on joints -- which is no surprise, as it was originally prescribed for arthritis pain. 

For muscle soreness, I recommend Tiger Balm. It's your typical hot-then-cold pungent ointment that penetrates deeply and lasts for a long time, and it comes in a compact little jar because a little goes a long way. Just be sure to wash your hands thoroughly, because you definitely don't want this stuff in your eyes, nose, mouth, or crotch. It's greasy (which accounts for its stickiness and staying power) so scrub well. 

Know When to Get Out

This last entry is a bit fast and loose with our "no politics" policy. I instituted that policy because I don't want this blog to be taken over by partisan shouting matches that aren't relevant to our mission. However, I feel that this rule can be skipped when talking about other countries, especially when there is a very important point to be made involving evacuation from a country that turns hostile towards you. 

The following videos were made by an American who lived in China from 2008 to 2018, and they explain his concern over the growing hatred towards foreigners and increased police interest in him during that time, culminating with him fleeing the country and then his family joining him. Politically speaking, it is anti-Chinese government (but categorically NOT anti-Chinese people), but if I'm being perfectly honest I don't think I have many pro-CCP people reading this blog anyway, and even if I did, they aren't my target audience anyway. 

This first video sets the premise for the others. I was amused at the beginning where he described everything he loved about close, crowded urban life in China, and I thought "That sounds horrible" and then he talks about visiting his parents in a small town and I thought "That sounds lovely," so there's clearly a difference in values at the start. His opinion changes towards the end, however, and it reminds me very much of people who start off thinking preppers are paranoid and then being very happy for their preparations when disaster finally strikes. 

This second video explains why he felt he needed to leave, and why it had to be immediately. I will confess that this reminded me, far too much to be comfortable, of the stories my father told me of escaping the Nazis in 1942 by fleeing Austria for the safety of America. 

It's important to note that he posted this video two years after escaping China, probably to protect those who helped him get out. 

As you would expect, the next video is how his Chinese wife and child escaped and were reunited with him.

 

This final video shows that it's a good thing he got out when he did.

I know this is close to an hour of videos to watch, but I think there's important information here. Break them up and watch a video with your morning coffee over the next four days, if you can't watch them all at once, or do what I do and listen to them while doing household chores. The important thing is that you watch them and learn from them, especially if you live abroad. 

I hope you enjoyed this "buffet" of posts; hopefully I'll have more coherent content for you next week.