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Disasters and Pets
You should be aware that pets are not allowed in Red Cross shelters because of health and sanitation rules. I don't know any animals that are as filthy as some of the shelters displayed on CNN in the last few disasters and the pets are probably happy they aren't allowed in.
At any rate, make arrangements to take care of your pets. Do not leave them in your house or anywhere, by themselves. The New Orleans experience showed that pets were a liability to be disposed of by law enforcement and other would-be rescuers. Don't let your pets suffer the fate of those who were unfortunate enough to be victims of Hurricane Katrina.
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Pets Deserve Comfort Too
Some of the things that can keep your pets comfortable during a disaster include a small portable bed that they can use in the car or wherever you are.
You should have an air and water tight container to hold food and treats.
Pets and animals in general will get more nervous during a disaster. They seem to be able to sense that something is wrong and your attitude and thoughtful
actions before a disaster can go a long way toward keeping your pets calm.
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I read a book called, "The Price of Loyalty" and in it, the author indicated that there had been a meeting at the home of the Vice President shortly after being elected, and in the kitchen of the new home, the idea of determining a way to invade Iraq was supposedly discussed. I have no idea if that meeting ever occurred but it seems to this citizen that everything we have done in the past six years has been to prepare to invade Iraq. There are other leaders in other countries who are killing their own people and causing more damage in the world than Saddam Hussein did. He wasn't a very nice guy, and I'm glad he is in custody. Personally I wish he was six feet under, but there is one big difference between what he had and what other countries don't have. It' obvious that there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. Even after the other day when the Republicans tried to bring up old expired weapons that were deemed in effective back in 2003, there are no weapons. I think perhaps oil might have had some part in our decision to choose a Muslim country in the middle of the MiddleEast to invade. And now we expect them to convert to our way of life, or Else. I was following a car on the freeway the other day and there was a paper sign taped to the back window that said, "Impeach Bush". If Bill Clinton can be impeached for lying about goofing around with an intern why is it OK for Bush to lie and cause the deaths of our young troops? Is the death of our military personnel less important than a brief moment of immorality?
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Are We Still In Iraq?
Remember Vietnamization? That little country in Southeast Asia that we took over from the French in order to spread democracy? We were going to train their military and their government to support themselves. The other day our Senate voted to stay in Iraq. They voted to keep our military over in a country that prides itself on being able to kill several of our troops each day and considers that a successful campaign. We have our troops sitting around waiting to be killed. And oh by the way, they don't just get killed they get tortured before they die.
Am I the only one who realizes that we could set a date to withdraw our troops from Iraq and then set up a program to insure the Iraqi government can support the country by that date. We don't have to withdraw or stay. We need what everyone is asking for: A Plan. Evidently nobody in the Senate can think of that. What kind of people have we voted into power to represent our interests? I will be posting the names of those who voted keep allowing our troops to get killed.
In the future I will also be posting the antics of other representatives who don't vote to bring our guys and gals home. I will also be posting other issues the demonstrate how "our representatives" are not doing that. .
Purifying Drinking Water
One of the most important problems during any disaster is making sure you have enough drinking water. It is THE most
important issue that you should address BEFORE a disaster, because when a disaster occurs it is too late. You can prepare the necessary tools
and products to guarantee that you will have an unlimited water supply for drinking and cooking.
First Aid
You must have a first aid kit in order to fix small injuries and to respond to emergency needs when an ambulance can't reach you.
It is a good idea to take the Red Cross First Aid courses every year. Then make sure you have an emergency first aid kit that you can take with you
no matter what your travel arrangements are.
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You should have family information cards for each person and your pets. These cards should be about the size of a business card
and should be laminated and have a hole for a chain or clip so that you can attach it to yourself and not worry about losing it. You should attach
one to your pet's collar or harness. These cards will be very important if you and your family become separated. They should contain the names of
all your family members and your pets. A description of your pets. And a point of contact outside of the disaster area. If you are responsible for
reaching the disaster area you might even want to put an effective date, like Disaster +3 days, to indicate when everyone can call. If you have
relatives who live in another state or far enough away so that they won't be affected by a disaster in your area, use them for the rally point.
You can make your family ID cards with a plain piece of paper and purchase laminating sheets in a stationary store really cheap. Create enough cards for everyone and then apply the laminating sheet on both sides. Cut the cards to size and make sure the laminating sheet is firmly attached to each card by pressing on them with something heavy. In a disaster do not attach them to clothing as clothes are sometimes separated from their owners too. Use a chain or strap to attach them to your arm ankle or around your neck.
If you want more information, contact me.
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I am available for public speaking engagements concerning Personal Disaster Preparedness. Please
contact Me for details on availability and fees. Normally this would be a community event and everyone who attends will walk away with a complete
plan and the products to develop a plan.
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So Much For Your Vote!!!
I just read an article on the Internet yesterday that said the Democrats in the Senate were not able to debate a resolution about their opposition to the war in Iraq because the Republicans wouldn't allow them to.
Even with a majority the Democrats are still getting bullied by the Republicans. How does that fit into our constitution and allow the will of the people to be exercised. It is readily apparent that the majority of the country does not support this war since finding out that they were duped into believing it was a worthwhile project.
I think not too many know that Saddam Hussein hated Al Quaeda more than Bush does. But he was able to control them and keep them out of his country. Or at least the part that he controlled. Now since we took over and inflicted our revenge on the man who threatened the President's father, Al Quaeda is flourishing in Iraq.
You just need to read the articles on the internet and watch the news to find out how bad we are kicking their butts over there. 5 American helicopters shot down in two weeks. More people killed in the last four months than at any other equal period during the war. Billions of dollars lost or otherwise wasted with very little to show except for a light fixture in the new Iraqi Police Academy that is full of human waste.
When Bush made his State of the Union address he said that Iraq was going to have to provide the troops to start taking control of their country before February or else. Or else what? The Iraqi Army units showed up but were only 50% manned. So are we going to tell them, "bad bad boys"? What is or else?
I have been writing to the President with a better idea for managing the war but no response, which is normal because the President is just doing what he wants and doesn't care what the people or the Congress want. Wait until I put up my article on Dictators and Authoritarianism. You won't believe how similar our current government is to those supposedly beligerent types of government.
I have also been writing to my sentors and house representatives with no response until I wrote to Senator Boxer about global warming. I got a canned response about her efforts and the bill she authored. So why aren't we seeing more bills passed to cut down on global warming? I think the Republicans won't allow that either.
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Do you fill up your vehicle's gas tank when it gets below a quarter of a tank? Do you get regular service on your vehicle
so that you don't have to worry about it breaking down while you are evacuating? Even an older vehicle can get serviced and be in the best shape it can
be in. You should make sure you have reliable transportation close by. Transportation won't be arriving to help you until the President shows up to lead
the parade through town showing how the government is going to rescue you, several days after the disaster. Don't get stuck. Have your own way out.
Even if you have to ride a mountain bike.
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