Just got back

.......And re-tuned into the news cycle. Was out of decent contact with any real news except for radio, which was somewhat less than overwhelming in its coverage of....well, anything really useful. (All I had was net news via a cell phone, and I was driving, so reading news wasn't really an option).

I am watching coverage as to just how badly the forces of nature have kicked the Japanese people in the testicles.

I hope they find most of the missing and that they don't starve nor end up glowing in the dark due to the ever escalating issues at their nuclear power plants. The fact that they are flooding the reactor(s) with seawater (and by some reports, seawater deliberately contaminated with boron) tells me that they have a real emergency and are willing to write off the plants in order to prevent a catastrophe. This could be bad. Even for us in a few days.

This incident (yeah, I know to them it is a catastrophe, but to the rest of the world, it is just an incident) shows exactly why I preach (and practice) preparation for emergencies. Yeah, some folks have had their homes washed away, and therefore even if they had prepped, they would have none at this time. But many (most) still have homes, even if they are filled with foul smelling mud and water. Had those folks had preps, they'd be able to dig them out and open them and would at least have food and water for a few days or weeks. It's better than starving or dying from dehydration.You have to be alive in order to be miserable.

Which kind of person would you rather be? one with options, or without?

How about if after that you had the additional fear of radiation? Just the not knowing (even if you were not directly affected by the destruction of the quake or were high enough that the following tsunami didn't directly affect your home) if there was life threatening levels of radiation would affect your performance. Would you be as willing to help others?

Do you have a weeks worth of food and water? Do you have a means to detect radiation? How about durable storage of supplies? A tent or other shelter? KI/KIO3?

Bet that many folks in Japan would give you 50 times what you would pay for those things today, just to have them. Think about it.  

And while you are thinking about it, thank whatever higher power(s) you believe in that it isn't you, and that you have time to make better choices in your preps....and ask him/her/it/them to give the Japanese a bit of mercy.