"The Coming Dollar Collapse and the Fall of America"

An excellent and timely discussion was posted today at "The Watchman's Cry" ... including an interview with Benjamin Baruch.

Listen here.
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

Nuclear Iran Creates a Terrorist Umbrella

From Newsmax: Former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Dore Gold warns that a nuclear-armed Iran would shift "the entire balance in the war on terror" by providing terrorists with a nuclear umbrella.

Speaking at a briefing at the British House of Commons on Oct. 12, Dore — also a former adviser to Israeli prime ministers — said Iran's nuclear program endangers "the security not just of Israel but of the entire Middle East, and I would say the world."

Gold said that as of this past August, Iran had enough nuclear fuel to produce two atomic bombs, and a missile with the capability of striking Israel and Saudi Arabia.

"So if you take the fact that Iran is one of the largest supporters of international terrorism today, and you team that up with the nuclear capabilities that I’ve been describing, you have a security situation which the West has not yet seen," Gold said.

"The whole point of George W. Bush’s decision to remove the Taliban after 9/11 was to send a very clear message: 'You attack the American homeland and we will take down your regime.'

"But fast forward to 2012. Iran has operational nuclear weapons that can strike deep into Europe, and eventually towards the eastern seaboard of the U.S. Will the U.S., U.K., and NATO as a whole have the same freedom of maneuver to say to states that support terrorism, 'We will take you down if you attack us?'

"Will the U.S. Congress authorize sending forces abroad against a state armed with nuclear weapons? In other words, the entire balance in the war on terror shifts, because the state that is the largest global sponsor of terrorism today now has nuclear capabilities . . .

"This nuclear umbrella of Iran will unfurl and will be able to provide protection, not just to Shiite Hezbollah, but to Sunni organizations such as al-Qaida and Hamas."

Gold, now president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, raised the possibility that Israel could strike Iran's nuclear facilities if the international community does not take action.

"I will say that Israel has been thinking about this problem for a very long time," he said in remarks published on the Web site of The Henry Jackson Society, a London-based organization that promotes the foreign policies of former U.S. Sen. Henry "Scoop" Jackson.

"The Israeli air force has been training for action and all options are on the table. But I would say the official position is that there is hope, even at this late date, that the key players in the international community will take action."

He added: "You might think that Iran’s behavior at present is brazen and risky. It looks much less brazen and risky if you recall how often Iran has already defied the West and got away with it."

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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

Mountain House Cans in Canada!

Safecastle is pleased to be introducing Mountain House cans into the enormous Canadian marketplace for the first time.

If you have friends or relatives in Canada, you might want to send them our Canadian Mountain House category link above so they can get squared away with the best freeze dried food on the planet.
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

Lord Monckton: Obama Slated to Sign Away U.S. Sovereignty in December

This 1.5 hour video of the increasingly famous, quite entertaining, while alarming presentation by Lord Christopher Monckton this week here in Minnesota, is perhaps going to be the best-spent hour and a half you will spend this month ... maybe this year.



Here is a link to the presentatation slides (pdf) that accompany the speaker's talk.

Much of this presentation is about truth, and the ridiculous notion that global warming is a scientific fact and represents a legitimate looming global crisis. Of course, the reason for this presentation's widespread fame (or infamy) is that Lord Monckton also points out that President Obama is slated to sign away the sovereignty of the United States at the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December.

Of course, when you think about it, if that is indeed what is about to happen, that does kind of put all the rest of the ludicrous events of this year into some semblance of logical series of increasingly lethal body blows to the core of our once great nation. As Monckton states--this is it. If we don't prevent this from happening in a few weeks--the world is effectively lost to the forces of darkness and fools.

Read the UN agreement for yourself.
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

Safecastle NBC Shelter, Part 1

Safecastle NBC Shelter, Part 2

Lessons Learned Anew from Tragedies in the Pacific

Our prayers are with the people suffering in the Phillipines, American Samoa, and Indonesia after a rapid-fire succession of generational-level natural catastrophes this week.

Earthquakes, landslides, a tsunami, tropical-storm flooding, now a super typhoon ...

The survivors of any one of these devastating crises would have a hard time getting the relief and aid they need today given the global economy. But with the multiplying widespread need for help in that region and desperate demands far outstripping available resources--things are going to be getting a lot worse in each of those locales before they take a turn for the better.

The lesson to be taken to heart once again is that you CANNOT count on authorities, governments, relief agencies, or even your neighbors to be there to rescue you in your time of unexpected calamity.

It's not always a fail-safe solution, but it is the best personal strategy in a world growing increasingly unpredictable ... that is, being prepared. Having supplies, resources, plans, abilities, and the mindset to survive the worst-case eventualities in life.

Our forefathers understood the importance of prudent planning and saving for long winters and rainy days. Today, in spite of government agencies bloated beyond all historical recognition and tax burdens growing exponentially, there IS NO universal rescue force; or for that matter, no Justice League of America ready to sweep in and put all the pieces back together again.

Self-reliance and preparedness make up the best possible fallback position for someone suffering a direct-hit from a natural or man-made disaster.

Get it done.
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

Now thru October 11 ... 25% OFF All Mountain House Canned Freeze-Dried Food!

PLUS New Member-Volume Incentives

It's the last Mountain House sale of the year.

We're marking down all Mountain House can listings the maximum allowable 25% off for members and non-members alike (not to mention FREE shipping to the lower 48)!

As if you need to be told--this food is widely regarded as the top-quality freeze dried, long-term storage food in the world. It is precooked and ready to eat--just add water. It stores on your shelf for 25+ years!!

Don't miss your best last chance of 2009 to get a great deal on your family's edible insurance policy!

NEW Easier Reward Incentives

Oh ... and we are introducing a brand new club-member Mountain House incentive program. Maybe we'll call it "Cache for Bunkers"?

No? Is that a clunker? OK.

Anyway--the MH volume gift-certificate incentives (used to be called vouchers in our old store) are quicker and easier to attain and take advantage of. The additional gifts are new as well--the GearPod Backcountry modular survival kit, the K8 personal radiation detector (with selectable audio or visual alarm modes), and the HAZARiD Decontamination kit.

For the whole scoop, have a look here.
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

History Channel Premiere: "Day After Disaster"

Several months ago I was interviewed by the production people who were working on a History Channel documentary. My input was off-camera, for background research.

I was told the producers' goal was to produce a historically based, compelling documentary that seeks to demystify the nuclear issue. I provided insight into private bunkers and bomb shelters and how they protect inhabitants as part of a larger disaster-readiness scenario.

Anyway, that two-hour program is about to premiere, and it looks to be pretty interesting ...

Day After Disaster

Monday, September 28 08:00 PM

Tuesday, September 29 12:00 AM

Sunday, October 04 06:00 PM

Against a morning sky, a mushroom cloud spirals heavenward. A nuclear bomb has detonated in the heart of Washington D.C., incinerating 15,000 residents in just 15 seconds. More than 50% of the population living within a 1/2 mile radius of the explosion is either dead or severely injured. The next 24 hours will determine whether the rest of the city lives or dies. To survive this horrific ordeal they will need a plan. And lucky for us--there is one. But will it work? For the first time on television, the Department of Homeland Security reveals the most detailed and comprehensive plan to save America should terrorists go nuclear. This chilling two-hour special delves into the complex and highly secretive world of disaster planning.

Rating: TVPG

Running Time: 120 minutes

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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

"The Truth About the Health Care Bills" -- M. Connelly, Ret. Constitutional Atty.

This gentleman--retired Constitutional attorney Michael Connelly--is deservedly getting a lot of attention for his warnings about the health care bills in Congress.

In summary--the Health Care bills are not as much about providing health care to the masses (which in fact, these bills WON'T do in practice) as they are about achieving the largest-ever transfer of power to the Executive branch. Major portions of the U.S. Constitution will be destroyed if a law like these being proposed are adopted.

The Truth About the Health Care Bills

Well, I have done it! I have read the entire text of proposed House Bill 3200: The Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009. I studied it with particular emphasis from my area of expertise, constitutional law. I was frankly concerned that parts of the proposed law that were being discussed might be unconstitutional. What I found was far worse than what I had heard or expected.

To begin with, much of what has been said about the law and its implications is in fact true, despite what the Democrats and the media are saying. The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participation in abortions by members of the medical profession.

The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business and put everyone into a government run system. All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats and most of them will not be health care professionals. Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled.

However, as scary as all of that it, it just scratches the surface. In fact, I have concluded that this legislation really has no intention of providing affordable health care choices. Instead it is a convenient cover for the most massive transfer of power to the Executive Branch of government that has ever occurred, or even been contemplated. If this law or a similar one is adopted, major portions of the Constitution of the United States will effectively have been destroyed.

The first thing to go will be the masterfully crafted balance of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the U.S. Government. The Congress will be transferring to the Obama Administration authority in a number of different areas over the lives of the American people and the businesses they own. The irony is that the Congress doesn’t have any authority to legislate in most of those areas to begin with. I defy anyone to read the text of the U.S. Constitution and find any authority granted to the members of Congress to regulate health care.

This legislation also provides for access by the appointees of the Obama administration of all of your personal healthcare information, your personal financial information, and the information of your employer, physician, and hospital. All of this is a direct violation of the specific provisions of the 4^th Amendment to the Constitution protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures. You can also forget about the right to privacy. That will have been legislated into oblivion regardless of what the 3^rd and 4^th Amendments may provide.

If you decide not to have healthcare insurance or if you have private insurance that is not deemed “acceptable” to the “Health Choices Administrator” appointed by Obama there will be a tax imposed on you. It is called a “tax” instead of a fine because of the intent to avoid application of the due process clause of the 5^th Amendment. However, that doesn’t work because since there is nothing in the law that allows you to contest or appeal the imposition of the tax, it is definitely depriving someone of property without the “due process of law.

So, there are three of those pesky amendments that the far left hate so much out the original ten in the Bill of Rights that are effectively nullified by this law. It doesn’t stop there though. The 9^th Amendment that provides: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people;” The 10^th Amendment states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are preserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Under the provisions of this piece of Congressional handiwork neither the people nor the states are going to have any rights or powers at all in many areas that once were theirs to control.

I could write many more pages about this legislation, but I think you get the idea. This is not about health care; it is about seizing power and limiting rights. Article 6 of the Constitution requires the members of both houses of Congress to “be bound by oath or affirmation” to support the Constitution. If I was a member of Congress I would not be able to vote for this legislation or anything like it without feeling I was violating that sacred oath or affirmation. If I voted for it anyway I would hope the American people would hold me accountable.

For those who might doubt the nature of this threat I suggest they consult the source. Here is a link to the Constitution: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html

And another to the Bill of Rights: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html

There you can see exactly what we are about to have taken from us.

Michael Connelly

Retired attorney,

Constitutional Law Instructor

Carrollton, Texas

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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

I'm Guilty

It's 2009 and in this brave new world, I'm as guilty as they come. I'm confessing it to all the world in this blog post.

Crime number one is as plain as the nose on my face: I'm caucasian. Twice as criminal--I'm a caucasian male.

Crime number two: I'm a Bible-believing Christian. A Protestant, if that matters to some legal eagles.

Charge number three (and probably there are multiple other charges within): I'm plainly conservative in my political and cultural viewpoints. Read that to mean ... pro-life (anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia), pro Constitution (to include the Second Amendment as well as all the rest), I usually vote Republican, and I embrace the notions of individual liberty and traditional multi-culturalism.

Crime number four: I'm a small business-owner; I believe in free enterprise and thus the capitalist system (yes--opposed to socialism/Marxism/communism/progressivism and anything else you want to call systems based on welfare and wealth redistribution). I think folks are healthiest and happiest when they work for their own paychecks and spend their income as they see fit.

Crime number five: I'm a US military veteran--apparently a dangerous thing for some, as it shows commitment to an ideal (I guess).

Crime number six: I believe in America, its way of life, its history, its strengths (and weaknesses too), and I am proud of the decisive role it has played in world events over the last 200+ years. I know our forebears do not meet today's "standards" for behavior and tolerance but they did the best they knew how and they did it well. We should admire their achievements, not apologize for them.

Crime number seven: I do not bow or grovel before any man or government and I certainly do not worship media talking heads. I happen to find most of the content that is churned out by the government and large corporate interests through today's networks and news organizations to be indigestible and dishonest. Yes, I am, GASP ... disagreeable.

In My Defense

Oddly enough, I was not always this way. In my youth, I was what you would have to call a liberal. An outlaw, in fact, in some ways. Stupid is how I see it now in many ways. I made a lot of mistakes, learned some hard lessons, lived to experience life and even gained some wisdom along the way.

Odder still, back then, TODAY's crimes I am guilty of now were the foundation of America and were seen as traits that were to be admired and emulated. Weird--I didn't always see it that way and I didn't think I'd grow up to become like my old man.

Whoa, dude -- looking back, it's almost like the fabric of time is oscillating and throwing reality a violent whiplash.

I don't really know where it happened for me--the transformation, that is. I know this much ... in my first Presidential election, I voted for Jimmy Carter. I grit my teeth as I admit that today. I never voted for Reagan (hitting myself in the head). But I became a father. I got some education. I took on responsibility and accepted obligations. One day I woke up, brushed my teeth and suddenly looked and sounded like my dad.

Just in time, apparently, to don the desperado cloak once again. Today--the sensible is criminal ... extremism even. Whatever, as my oldest daughter is fond of saying.

I'm all of the above. My journey has led me here. Bring me the typed confession--I will sign that paper.

One thing I will dispute though--the absurd charge of racism. It's a label that is so utterly prominent today in catty public discourse that it's lost all meaning. The twisting fibers of our distorted reality leaves a chaotic print that is pointless.

"Racist!"

Criminy! The whole thing is part of a ridiculous onslaught that is weak at best, and is fiendish at worst on the part of the liberal socialists who are aiming to cause a violent upheaval in America today.
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

Get In On Our "Pillage the Castle" Sale

How often do you get to pillage a castle, anyway?

Once at least, if you take advantage of this opportunity ... through September 24 only.

I promised you a chance to help us clear out the old castle after moving into our new digs, so here you go.

Our "Pillage the Castle" Sale! ...

Some great sale prices on Yoders food, the Montague Paratrooper folding bike, and the Viking self-contained solar back-up rigs. These sale prices are applied BEFORE you subtract your member discounts, if you are a buyers club member (not to mention the free shipping that is always in place).

And we're offering up lots of freebies too for our members as well.

Read all about it.

Stay safe!
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

The New Castle is Open for Business!

At last! ... It has been a labor of love for us, but we are finally launching our new Safecastle Royal buyers club store.

For the time being, the old store is still active and will still be out there for a few more days as we make sure all is well with the new site.

The new store can be found here: www.prepared.pro
When the old store is deactivated, www.safecastleroyal.com will also point you to the new store.

Please Note ... A quick wrap-up of the chief benefits at the new store include the facts that:

• when you log-in as a buyers club member, you automatically see your member pricing (remember--shipping is still always free to the lower 48; and nope--we haven't raised any prices except the new membership fee which has no effect on existing members);
• your cart contents and prices are always visible in the right column;
• and you can manage your personal account info more easily and completely now.

Requests for you, if you are a club member ...

1. We had to manually enter all of the thousands of member records into the new store's admin function. The new store requires that passwords have a minimum of 7 characters, so some folks' passwords were changed as a result.

So we ask that you please try to log-in to your account as soon as possible. First, enter your email address in the right column in the LOGIN field, then click "GO." On that next page enter your password and click "SIGN IN." Or, click on "Forgot Password?" if you have forgotten your password, or your old password isn't working. Your password will be emailed to you.

Also noteworthy--Go to "My Account" at the top of any page and you can easily change your password to something you will remember.

2. Building a mighty "castle" like this is not easy. We expect there may be little chinks in the armor and/or omissions here and there. If you come across an error and are the first to advise us of it (email me at vrantala@safecastle.net), I will send you a great camo "Safecastle militia" cap.

Last word ...

I promised a "Pillage the Castle Sale" in which we will clear out products that have been overflowing into the livery and dungeons of the old castle digs. That is still in the works. Expect news on that in about a week. . .
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

I'm Attacked as a Racist

Well ... I did indeed expect attacks as the result of making this post about the anti-American communist Richard Wright--only because I am well aware of the rabid reactionaries that have been empowered of late to lash out at folks with conservative values.

I won't even give a particular attacker the satisfaction of mentioning who they are. In fact, near as I can tell, they are pretty much nobody of note--unless perhaps Ward Churchill is in the Fort Collins, CO area now. (The vitriole and slander I am seeing is reminiscent of that anti-American professor who gained a place in infamy by blaming 9/11 victims for their fate.)

This individual who is attempting to paint us (Safecastle) as racists is claiming that we approve of lynching (going so far as to include grotesque images of lynchings that they say I would approve of), that we hate blacks, etc. (My attorney is looking at that post now as being an open and shut defamation lawsuit.)

Anyway, the particular fool who is attacking me and our company as ignorant racists seems to be oblivious to the fact that my own beloved grandson is black. Also to be clear--I have in fact had great roommates, friends, and business partners from various cultures, nations, religions, and ethnic backgrounds, not to mention a broad array of customers in our buyers club as well who make our membership as diverse as America itself.

My objections to the USPS stamp remain stated as they are in that posting linked above. I am a Cold Warrior from way back. Communism will never be my friend. Communism will never favor the America that I know and have served and continue to fight for. And anyone who renounces their American citizenship is never worthy of an American postage stamp, period.

The person in question sees himself/herself as a person enlightened to the benefits of communism. And the person is extremely focused on finding racial injustices and offenses where there are none, judging by most of the posts on this person's blog.

He/she blows smoke to the effect that times have changed. Well--I can agree with that much. Change is here, for better or for worse.
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Swine Flu: 10 Things You Need to Know

By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer

ATLANTA – Since it first emerged in April, the global swine flu epidemic has sickened more than 1 million Americans and killed about 500. It's also spread around the world, infecting tens of thousands and killing nearly 2,000.

This summer, the virus has been surprisingly tenacious in the U.S., refusing to fade away as flu viruses usually do. And health officials predict a surge of cases this fall, perhaps very soon as schools reopen.

A White House report from an expert panel suggests that from 30 percent to half the population could catch swine flu during the course of this pandemic and that from 30,000 to 90,000 could die.

So how worried should you be and how do you prepare? The Associated Press has tried to boil down the mass of information into 10 things you should know to be flu-savvy.

1. No cause for panic.

So far, swine flu isn't much more threatening than regular seasonal flu.

During the few months of this new flu's existence, hospitalizations and deaths from it seem to be lower than the average seen for seasonal flu, and the virus hasn't dramatically mutated. That's what health officials have observed in the Southern Hemisphere where flu season is now winding down.

Still, more people are susceptible to swine flu and U.S. health officials are worried because it hung in so firmly here during the summer — a time of year the flu usually goes away.

2. Virus tougher on some.

Swine flu is more of a threat to certain groups — children under 2, pregnant women, people with health problems like asthma, diabetes and heart disease. Teens and young adults are also more vulnerable to swine flu.

Ordinary, seasonal flu hits older people the hardest, but not swine flu. Scientists think older people may have some immunity from exposure years earlier to viruses similar to swine flu.

3. Wash your hands often and long.

Like seasonal flu, swine flu spreads through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick. Emphasize to children that they should wash with soap and water long enough to finish singing the alphabet song, "Now I know my ABC's..." Also use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

4. Get the kids vaccinated.

These groups should be first in line for swine flu shots, especially if vaccine supplies are limited — people 6 months to 24 years old, pregnant women, health care workers.

Also a priority: Parents and caregivers of infants, people with those high-risk medical conditions previously noted.

5. Get your shots early.

Millions of swine flu shots should be available by October. If you are in one of the priority groups, try to get your shot as early as possible.

Check with your doctor or local or state health department about where to do this. Many children should be able to get vaccinated at school. Permission forms will be sent home in advance.

6. Immunity takes awhile.

Even those first in line for shots won't have immunity until around Thanksgiving.

That's because it's likely to take two shots, given three weeks apart, to provide protection. And it takes a week or two after the last shot for the vaccine to take full effect.

The regular seasonal flu shot should be widely available in September. People over 50 are urged to be among the first to get that shot.

7. Vaccines are being tested.

Health officials presume the swine flu vaccine is safe and effective, but they're testing it to make sure.

The federal government has begun studies in eight cities across the country to assess its effectiveness and figure out the best dose. Vaccine makers are doing their own tests as well.

8. Help! Surrounded by swine flu.

If an outbreak of swine flu hits your area before you're vaccinated, be extra cautious.

Stay away from public gathering places like malls, sports events and churches. Try to keep your distance from people in general. Keep washing those hands and keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth.

9. What if you get sick?

If you have other health problems or are pregnant and develop flu-like symptoms, call your doctor right away. You may be prescribed Tamiflu or Relenza. These drugs can reduce the severity of swine flu if taken right after symptoms start.

If you develop breathing problems (rapid breathing for kids), pain in your chest, constant vomiting or a fever that keeps rising, go to an emergency room.

Most people, though, should just stay home and rest. Cough into your elbow or shoulder. Stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever breaks. Fluids and pain relievers like Tylenol can help with achiness and fever. Always check with a doctor before giving children any medicines. Adult cold and flu remedies are not for them.

10. No swine flu from barbecue.

You can't catch swine flu from pork — or poultry either (even though it recently turned up in turkeys in Chile). Swine flu is not spread by handling meat, whether it's raw or cooked.

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090901/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu10_things_4

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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

"Swine Flu" at the Doorstep

Back to school and here comes the "Swine Flu."

Swine flu spreading at 'unbelievable' rate: WHO

Sat Aug 29, 9:23 am ET

PARIS (AFP) – Swine flu spreads four times faster than other viruses and 40 percent of the fatalities are young adults in good health, the world's top health official warned in an interview appearing Saturday.

"This virus travels at an unbelievable, almost unheard of speed," World Health Organisation Director General Margaret Chan told France's Le Monde daily in an interview.

"In six weeks it travels the same distance that other viruses take six months to cover," Chan said.

"Sixty percent of the deaths cover those who have underlying health problems," Chan said. "This means that 40 percent of the fatalities concern young adults -- in good health -- who die of a viral fever in five to seven days.

"This is the most worrying fact," she said, adding that "up to 30 percent of people in densely populated countries risked getting infected."

Chan's warning came a day after the WHO said the virus had overtaken others to become the most prevalent flu strain.

"Evidence from multiple outbreak sites demonstrates that the A(H1N1) pandemic virus has rapidly established itself and is now the dominant influenza strain in most parts of the world," the UN agency said in a statement.

"The pandemic will persist in the coming months as the virus continues to move through susceptible populations," it added.

Chan underlined that emergency and healthcare services in several countries had come under strain and stressed that resources allocated for cancer patients and those suffering from heart disease should not be diverted.

"One must not rob Peter to pay Paul," she said. "All governments must prepare for the worst."

She said the most important thing in the battle against the virus was "political leadership."

More than 2,180 people around the world have died from the virus since it emerged in April, according to the latest WHO figures.

Chan also said that it could be months before sufficient vaccine is available to combat the pandemic.

She put world production capacity at 900 million doses a year, for a global population of 6.8 billion people.

Even if this was an unprecedented effort, and authorities were speeding up procedures for getting vaccines to the market, there should be no question of compromises on their safety and effectiveness, Chan said.

Britain and France received their first batches of swine flu vaccine this week. Australia on Friday said a massive swine flu vaccination programme would start in October and Turkey hopes the first supplies of the vaccine will come by that time.

While 90 percent of severe and fatal cases occur in people aged above 65 in seasonal flu, most of those who die from swine flu are under the age of 50.

A "very severe form of disease" affecting the lungs and causing severe respiratory failure among young and healthy people was being reported, WHO said Friday, adding that highly specialised care was required.

Large numbers of such patients could therefore "overwhelm" intensive care units and disrupt the provision of care for other diseases, it warned.

In the southern hemisphere where the flu-prone winter season is tailing off, the WHO said cities in several countries had reported that nearly 15 percent of hospitalised cases required intensive care.

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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

New Website, a "Pillage the Castle" Sale, and More

We're rounding the final turn and coming into the homestretch ...

1. Next week the plan is to launch our totally brand new buyers club site. It's really very spiffy and a big step up over our current store site. Of course, you know how plans go--it MAY be that something will cause a delay, but right now we are on schedule.

2. We will possibly keep both store sites running for a short time to ensure all is well with the new store before we close the drawbridge on the old site.

3. We are working up a very cool and unusual sale to celebrate the new site. It will be called the "Pillage the Castle Sale" because club members will have the chance at a lot of FREE products (we're not talking knick-knacks here) that we are going to unload to clean up the "warehouse" here, not to mention offering sale prices on some stuff as well.

4. Since the buyers club's inception, the one-time lifetime membership fee has been $19. We are now raising that one-time fee to $29, and of course that only applies to folks who decide to join the club when that change goes into effect, and on into the future. I mention this because this increase will go into effect with the launch of the new website. So if any of you have been contemplating joining, now would be the time, before the price hike and in order to qualify for the FREEBIES that will be given away.
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

USPS Glorifying Anti-American, Communist Racist on a Stamp!

I am disgusted. Every day it's something new and appalling.

I send out 2-ounce shelter brochures daily. Not enough to make postage metering necessary. So I buy sheets of the appropriate postage at the local Post Office.

Since the latest postage price hike, I've been given sheets of 61-cent wedding cake stamps. Not really my favorite for what I mail out, but OK--whatever.

But yesterday, I asked for sheets of $.61 cent stamps and I was given a new stamp. The person on the stamp is Richard Wright. It shows a picture of him--a black man in front of what appears to be an inner city-scape.

The name rang a bell for me right away but I could not place it. I just researched him and found that he was an avowed, card-wielding Communist Party member who wrote widely recognized black-power types of novels back in the 40s and 50s. In fact, he left America and disavowed his American citizenship.

Now what the hell kind of message is this? We put all kinds of mindless stuff like comedians, movie stars, wedding cake, cheeseburgers, and whatever on our stamps--and OK. No big deal.

But if the United States Postal Service is going to start promoting and celebrating anti-American, communist, racists on stamps, that is well over the line.

I called the US Postal Service to express my displeasure and couldn't get anywhere of course. And no, I won't use those stamps even of I have to put sixty-one one-cent Lincoln stamps on each brochure.

This is one of those things that I suppose some liberal genius in the USPS bureacracy thought would be funny, but here's hoping more folks will pick this up. In fact, I also just forwarded this on to Glenn Beck. I bet he'll chew on it a little and spit out some interesting commentary.

Edited to add: See follow-up post here.

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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

Worst Hiring Rate Ever!

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words (or a few million jobs). To read the accompanying article from National Review Online, click here.
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com

Jim Baxter: "Peace is not a cause - it is an effect"

I received a rather profound email today from a gentleman by the name of James Baxter. Mr. Baxter is about 83, I believe. He is a WWII and Korea USMC combat vet, is a "point-man/follower of The Lion of Judah," and he has a great deal of understanding and wisdom to impart, based not only on his life experiences but more importantly on the Word of God.

Mr. Baxter's website is: http://www.choicemaker.net/index.htm

The essay James Baxter is presenting as crucial today is entitled ...
"WHAT IS MAN...?" God asks - and answers:
HUMAN DEFINED: EARTH'S CHOICEMAKER

I encourage you to go to the linked essay and read it through. The man has some thought-provoking words of wisdom that apply today like a boxing glove to a fist.

That said, I was especially moved by his email's introduction:

Every September, I recall that is more than half a century (63 years) since I landed at Nagasaki with the 2nd Marine Division in the original occupation of Japan following World War II. This time every year, I have watched and listened to the light-hearted "peaceniks" and their light-headed symbolism-without-substance of ringing bells, flying pigeons, floating candles, and sonorous chanting and I recall again that "Peace is not a cause - it is an effect."

In July, 1945, my fellow 8th RCT Marines [I was an ARman] and I returned to Saipan following the successful conclusion of the Battle of Okinawa. We were issued new equipment and replacements joined each outfit in preparation for our coming amphibious assault on the home islands of Japan.

B-29 bombing had leveled the major cities of Japan, including Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama, Yokosuka, and Tokyo.

We were informed we would land three Marine divisions and six Army divisions, perhaps abreast, with large reserves following us in. It was estimated that it would cost half a million casualties to subdue the Japanese homeland.

In August, the A-bomb was dropped on Hiroshima but the Japanese government refused to surrender. Three days later a second A-bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. The Imperial Japanese government finally surrendered.

Following the 1941 sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, a Japanese admiral said, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant..." Indeed, they had. Not surprisingly, the atomic bomb was produced by a free people functioning in a free environment. Not surprisingly because the creative process is a natural human choice-making process and inventiveness occurs most readily where choice-making opportunities abound. America!

Tamper with a giant, indeed! Tyrants, beware: Free men are nature's pit bulls of Liberty! The Japanese learned the hard way what tyrants of any generation should know: Never start a war with a free people - you never know what they may invent!

As a newly assigned member of a U.S. Marine intelligence section, I had a unique opportunity to visit many major cities of Japan, including Tokyo and Hiroshima, within weeks of their destruction. For a full year I observed the beaches, weapons, and troops we would have assaulted had the A-bombs not been dropped. Yes, it would have been very destructive for all, but especially for the people of Japan.

When we landed in Japan, for what came to be the finest and most humane occupation of a defeated enemy in recorded history, it was with great appreciation, thanksgiving, and praise for the atomic bomb team, including the aircrew of the Enola Gay. A half million American homes had been spared the Gold Star flag, including, I'm sure, my own.

Whenever I hear the apologists expressing guilt and shame for A-bombing and ending the war Japan had started (they ignore the cause-effect relation between Pearl Harbor and Nagasaki), I have noted that neither the effete critics nor the puff-adder politicians are among us in the assault landing-craft or the stinking rice paddies of their suggested alternative, "conventional" warfare. Stammering reluctance is obvious and continuous, but they do love to pontificate about the Rights that others, and the Bomb, have bought and preserved for them.

The vanities of ignorance and camouflaged cowardice abound as license for the assertion of virtuous "rights" purchased by the blood of others - those others who have borne the burden and physical expense of Rights whining apologists so casually and self-righteously claim.

At best, these fakers manifest a profound and cryptic ignorance of causal relations, myopic perception, and dull I.Q. At worst, there is a word and description in The Constitution defining those who love the enemy more than they love their own countrymen and their own posterity. Every Yankee Doodle Dandy knows what that word is.

In 1945, America was the only nation in the world with the Bomb and it behaved responsibly and respectfully. It remained so until two among us betrayed it to the Kremlin. Still, this American weapon system has been the prime deterrent to earth's latest model world- tyranny: Seventy years of Soviet collectivist definition, coercion, and domination of individual human beings.

The message is this: Trust Freedom. Remember, tyrants never learn. The restriction of Freedom is the limitation of human choice, and choice is the fulcrum-point of the creative process in human affairs. As earth's choicemaker, it is our human identity on nature's beautiful blue planet and the natural premise of man's free institutions, environments, and respectful relations with one another. Made in the image of our Creator, free men choose, create, and progress - or die.

Free men should not fear the moon-god-crowd oppressor nor choose any of his ways. Recall with a confident Job and a victorious David, "Know ye not you are in league with the stones of the field?"

Semper Fidelis
Jim Baxter
Sgt. USMC
WW II and Korean War
point-man/follower of The Lion of Judah

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