Beyond Surviving, On To Thriving!

Nova Scotia RCMP to the Rescue! Don’t Count On It.

Apr 16, 2013 Uncategorized Leave a comment

In the last few days, you’ve probably heard about the Rahtaeh Parson’s case and the Nova Scotia RCMP’s alleged poor handling and unwillingness to get involved. I believe that they didn’t do their job right, but I also don’t have all the facts. No matter what, it was a tragedy that I believe could have been avoided with just a little more police involvement. I also believe that the RCMP needs our support so they can do that little bit more without feeling like they are going to be persecuted.

But that’s not the worst of it. The Nova Scotia RCMP are humans and entitled to make mistakes, even tragic ones. But to do so on a regular basis raises the question of whether they really care at all or not. Here’s a few things I’ve heard on CBC this morning:

• A senior with diminished mental capacity was allegedly being held captive and defrauded by her relative, Gail Benoit and Dana Bailey, a couple known to police for animal abuse and various other charges, but the police won’t proceed with charges against the couple because she’s, “not mentally competent to stand in court.” So those people who can’t defend themselves can’t get police help because…they can’t defend themselves. (Family of a Nova Scotian woman speak out against how she was treated by a couple who moved into her house – Tuesday April 16, 2013 CBC Radio)
• Nicole Doucet Ryan, who was being threatened and abused by her husband, was denied help by the RCMP several times, to the point where she took justice into her own hands. She tried to hire a ‘hit-man’. The RCMP were more than willing to set her up for the fall for doing that.  So, the Nova Scotia RCMP won’t help you, but if you try to help yourself, they will set you up and arrest you.
• In the case of Rahtaeh Parson’s, the public has consistently asked for, even demanded, help for Rahtaeh when she was alive and after. First it was her and her family, then friends, then people on the Internet, then Anonymous. The Nova Scotia RCMP maintained that there was nothing more they could have done, until Anonymous simply asked them to do the job that it only took Anonymous 2 hours on-line to do. Then the Nova Scotia RCMP started to threaten Anonymous and anyone who might leak the names on the Internet. So, the Nova Scotia RCMP not only won’t help you when the public hue and cry has a face, they will go after you if the public hue and cry becomes anonymous and powerful.
• To throw a match on the fire, RCMP have stated that they have no power to do anything about extremely noisy people and such unless a complaint is made. They said the RCMP doesn’t have the power to enforce the law, unless a complaint is made.  What? Isn’t disturbing the peace still a law? Don’t they pull people over for having headlights out? I can’t recall a time when anyone ever complained to the police about someone having a headlight out. What the hell?

What can we take away from this for Nova Scotians? Damned if you do, damned if you don’t? Sure seems like it. The sad thing is I like cops. Seriously. We need them and they do a job that you couldn’t possibly pay most Canadians enough to do. Most of them do the job because they care to their core about other people, or at least did when they started. They get very little respect and credit for the majority of the time that they do the job right. They don’t even get a lot of support from the very judicial system that they are on the front line of. Maybe this kind of apathy by the Nova Scotia RCMP is a symptom of that, I don’t know. What I do know is that they need our support to be able to function. Let’s give them that as we also require that those that are apathetic in their duties are corrected or removed.

Beyond that, be prepared to be able to make an extremely compelling case to have your complaints investigated and be prepared to go public if it isn’t investigated. But make sure you have all of your ducks in a row.

CanadaPrepared.com Featured in Winnipeg Sun Doomsday Article

Dec 21, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a comment

A big thank you goes out to all the Canadian Preppers and Writer, Joyanne Pursaga! CanadaPrepared.com was featured in the article, “Manitobans ready for apocalypse“.  Joyanne asked very important and salient questions, and her write up was smart, funny, and didn’t make Preppers look crazy.

I think I got this interview because of all the members of CanadaPrepared.com who make great contributions to this online community, our Facebook page, and Twitter account. Thank you, guys!

Episode 43 – The Most Serious Survival Skill – Humour

Dec 11, 2012 Uncategorized 4 Comments

Of course all preparedness and survival skills are serious. Survival and life are very serious businesses aren’t they? Well, no, not always. Neglect of the mind and it’s need to put things in a perspective it can handle can be deadly. Humour, however, can be life giving, if not life saving.

Many people in emergency services will tell you that humour is sometimes all that gets them through a day. Sometimes it’s a way to make friends, bridge barriers, and just plain enjoy life. We’re supposed to be going beyond surviving and on to thriving after all.

So exercise it. Learn about it. Prepare to be humourous. Include humour books and movies in your preparations. After all, if you can’t laugh at it, it’s just not serious.

Technorati Tags: funny, humor, humour, laughter, preparedness, survival

Episode 42 – Systems, Revolution, and Self Defence

Dec 2, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a comment

As I venture back into the world of pod casting, I’ve been trying to think about what it is that I want to say to you. What it is that I should like to change about the world. There are a million articles on how to grow vegetables, start a business and even generate your own electricity. Why would me posting about these same things make a spit of difference, except to add more noise to the signal.

What I want for you is to think about what it is that we have given up for our luxuries. We’ve farmed out the responsibility for so many aspects of our life in an attempt to increase our leisure. What happens when those systems fail, and they do, and you are thrust from luxury to uncertainty?

So listen to the podcast and look at your world with a sharper eye. We’ll all be better for it.

The Fun Winter To Do List

Sep 26, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a comment

Preparedness is such an oh-so-serious business. Most of our time is focused on overcoming the negative things that can happen and sometimes we forget to prepare for the fun things that can happen! That’s what I’ll be writing about today.

Here’s a list of things to do to get prepared to have a fun, family focused, fall and winter:

Now’s the time to get ready for…winter. I could give you a mundane list of chores, and I will, but first here’s some more fun things to prepare for!

• Wax the toboggans – parafin wax works well
• Stock up on hot chocolate; and your favourite winter teas
• Create a reading list for the winter months – preparedness family?
• Look for recipes you can make on, or in, a wood stove cooking
• Build ramps for above toboggans
• Make wood forms for building packed snow igloos – simple boxes really
• Plan your Spring Break trip, if you do that sort of thing
• Pick up a new indoor hobby – knitting is fun I hear
• Learn a new language with a podcast
• Download childhood favourite tv shows and share with your kids

Why not take some time and download our free podcasts to listen to on those warm nights inside, while the snow blows?

Any other ideas??? Head on over to the forum and take part in the conversation. There’s always something to share and something to learn. Our forums are well moderated and always free to join.