Someone was kind enough to point me out to a small article in the NY Times a few weeks ago about various clotting agents on the market for treatment of bleeding wounds. Everyone it seems, knows about QuickClot; as it turns out there are a few similar (if not the same) products out there as well. So, if you cant find what you want under one name it may be offered under another name. The article does mention that although all the products do the same thing, some differ in the ingredients used to achieve that result. QuickClot was giving away samples of their stuff online several months back and I received one. Looks like an interesting product. Theyre available from the usual sources (US Cav, Brigade, Galls, etc, etc).
The products?
QuickClot, QR, Bloodstop, and for nosebleeds – NasalCease.
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So the guy in charge of DHS says he has a ‘gut’ feeling that something is going to happen. This is weird on several levels.

Possibility A:
He’s getting all sorts of intel across his desk and while there isn’t enough there to connect the dots there is enough to show that something, although no one knows exactly what, is going on. Rather than issue an official warning based on what may turn out to be nothing, and lose credibility with the rest of the .gov, he says he ‘feels’ like something is up. The cautious take that as a warning and prepare as do various .gov agencies. Then if something does in fact happen he looks not only like Johnny-On-The-Spot but also like a freakin’ psychic.

Possibility B:
He’s just thinking out loud. I discount this because when youre in a position like his you know everyone is going to hang onto everything you say and its going to get on the record.

Possibility C:
Same as ‘A’, except the goal is to ‘let them know that we know’ and cause the opposition to change their plans. Thus, an event is diverted and no one ever even knows about it and chalk things up to Possibility B.

The recent amateurish work in the UK with the Flaming Jeep O’ Jihad shows that although theres a network in place and guys willing to die they just don’t have the technical knowhow and gear…or at least that particular bunch didn’t. But rest assured theres a kitchen table somewhere in this country covered with maps, photos of potential targets, pictures of natural gas pipelines and some of that annoying Middle Eastern music playing in the background.
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This months (August 2007) Popular Mechanics has the always eye-grabbing cover story “Survive Anything – Essential Skills, Tools & Tactics for any disaster”.

Hmmm. Ok, I’ll bite.

Not a bad little piece. A few anecdotes from people who went through floods, tornadoes, etc. The usual stuff about flashlights, phone cards and the like. Some nice stuff on generators and packing to evacuate. Some interesting quotes from the article I’ll share with you:

“The unprepared realize they are at risk about as fast as anybody else does, but it takes them longer to translate that into action.”

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“Emergency responders have a name for the post-Katrina reality: Yo-Yo. Youre On Your Own.
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A guy who huddled in his basement with his family as a tornado wiped his town off the map: “Think about what to do ahead of time, not on the spur of the moment. Have a safe place to go, and be ready to get there.”
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The article also has the usual ‘emergency preparedness checklist’ which pretty much any one reading this could rattle of the top of their head with no difficulty. However, the not-so-subtle message of the article (which is not surprising given Popular Mechanics whole DIY nature) is that its up to the individual to prepare and that you realistically shouldn’t expect .gov to be much help…at least, not past the local level.