The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, HPSCI, Chairman Mike Turner is quite predictable in his methods to support the Intelligence Community.  {Background Here}

Today, Chairman Mike Turner shocked the DC system by proclaiming Russians from Outer Space were coming to destroy us.   This “deadly Russians” narrative, as sold by Mike Turner, supports: (1) Ukraine funding, (2) FISA reauthorization and the (3) “seven ways to Sunday” Deep State.

[Source, Link]

WASHINGTON DC – A vague warning by the chair of the House Intelligence Committee about a “serious national security threat” Wednesday is related to Russia’s attempts to develop an antisatellite nuclear weapon for use in space, according to two people familiar with the matter.

While the people did not provide further details on the intel, one of them noted the U.S. has for more than a year been concerned about Russia’s potentially creating and deploying an antisatellite nuclear weapon — a weapon the U.S. and other countries would be unable to adequately defend against.

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Treehouse!  Why the name?

Perhaps this is fuel for a conversation as you decorate your Christmas tree.

There are three types of people in your life cycle, Leafs, Branches and Roots/Trunks.

• The Leaf people are seasonal; they will be there for a little while then gone.  Enjoy them and the beauty they provide but accept they will transition and not remain attached.

• The branch people are more stable; they will be around for several seasons and grow along with you.  However, when the pressure really mounts upon you, they can break away and that process creates a need for healing.  Again, cherish the branches; hope they will always remain; treat them with kindness but retain your own spiritual core as you grow.

• The Trunk/Root people.  These are the most important. These are the relationships that will stand with you forever in your lifecycle.  These are the steadfast. These are the source of nutrition for your life of growth.  These are the people who strengthen your purpose, bond forever and will never relent.  In the world of natural creation, God is present here.

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The next sixty days are peak hurricane and storm season for the Southeast coast.  While we all hope for a non-eventful next few months, several people have requested a repost of the lessons from Hurricane Ian.  I am duplicating that information for sharing and bookmarking in case you missed it last year.

[Current Tropical Status per NHC]

The ‘context’ of Ian was shared previously {Go Deep}.  What follows below are things to consider if you are prepping for a hurricane impact and/or deciding whether to stay in your home or evacuate.  Standard hurricane preparations should always be followed.  Protect your family, secure your property and belongings, and prepare for the aftermath.

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We loaded a CERT toolbox trailer yesterday that is heading to Mississippi to assist as recovery efforts get underway.  Samaritan’s Purse is now on the ground in two locations, Rolling Fork and Armory [Register to Volunteer Here]  Any Treepers in the impact zone check in and feel free to provide updates on the ground events that relate to your area.

(Via Fox News) – Help began pouring into one of the poorest regions of the U.S. after a deadly tornado tore a path of destruction for more than an hour across a long swath of Mississippi, even as furious new storms Sunday struck across the Deep South.

At least 25 people were killed and dozens of others were injured in Mississippi as the massive storm ripped through more than a half-dozen towns late Friday. A man was also killed in Alabama after his trailer home flipped over several times.

“Everything I can see is in some state of destruction,” said Jarrod Kunze, who drove to the hard-hit Mississippi town of Rolling Fork from his home in Alabama, ready to help “in whatever capacity I’m needed.”

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BUMPED 11/23/22

Because less than great just doesn’t cut it for Thanksgiving! In our family, Thanksgiving is the biggest holiday of all. We go to the same brother’s house every year, almost an hour’s drive out to the country.  My husband comes from a family of eight siblings, and most of them have grandkids now, one even has a great grandchild.

As many of us as possible gather together since we will all be with our immediate families on Christmas. Usually, one or two people at least snag a friend who has no one nearby to celebrate with. Until a few years ago, there were four generations of us gathered to give thanks, but my husband’s paternal aunt died a few years ago. She was the last of his father’s siblings, although we often have a beloved aunt by marriage who still comes with her son and granddaughter.

There are often close to 20 kids, so my sister-in-law came up with the idea of a bouncy house years ago. It is the greatest idea in the world for a little peace and tranquility in the house as we gather and get ready.

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The American Farm Bureau price estimation for the Thanksgiving Day basic foodstuffs seems underestimated every year.  However, this year with grocery store prices jumping dramatically the basic Thanksgiving Dinner as calculated is up 20% [Data Here]

(AFB) – Spending time with family and friends at Thanksgiving remains important for many Americans and this year the cost of the meal is also top of mind. Farm Bureau’s 37th annual survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of this year’s classic Thanksgiving feast for 10, which is $64.05 or less than $6.50 per person. This is a $10.74 or 20% increase from last year’s average of $53.31.

The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – costs more than last year, at $28.96 for a 16-pound bird. That’s $1.81 per pound, up 21% from last year, due to several factors beyond general inflation. (read more)

On the positive side of things, we note two points: #1) the third wave of food inflation should crest the beginning of December; and #2) a lot of readers here were proactive and purchased holiday ingredients long before the massive price increases showed up.  Great job.

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Many CTH readers know I have been involved in hurricane prep and recovery as a longtime member of a civilian emergency response team.  I have physically been through four direct hurricane impacts and responded to recovery efforts in more than fifteen locations, often staying for days or weeks after the initial event.

Through the years I have advised readers on best practices for events before, during and after the storm. In this outline my goal is to take the experience from Hurricane Ian and overlay what worked and what doesn’t work from a perspective of the worst-case scenario.

Hurricane Ian was a worst-case scenario.

Let me be clear from the outset, I am not advising anyone to put greater weight on my opinion or ignore local emergency officials or professionals in/around the disaster areas. What I am going to provide below is my own experience after decades of this stuff, against the backdrop of Ian, and just provide information that you may wish to consider if you are ever faced with a similar situation.

Hurricane preparation can be overlaid against other types of disaster preparation, there are some commonalities.  However, for the sake of those who live on/around the U.S. coastal areas where hurricanes have traditionally made impact, the specifics of preparation for this type of storm are more pertinent.  I’m going to skip over the basic hurricane preparation and get into more obscure and granular details, actual stuff that matters, that many may not be familiar with.

Let me start by sharing a graphic that you may overlay with the information you may have already seen from national media coverage.  The graphic below shows Hurricane Ian in relation to Southwest Florida and points to locations that you may have seen on the news.  The context of understanding Ian is going to be critical when contemplating preparation, so it must be emphasized.

This satellite image was likely taken around 4 to 7 pm on the evening of September 28, 2022, approximately three hours after Hurricane Ian officially made landfall at Bokeelia, a small community on the Northern end of Pine Island. All of my discussion below is from the ‘major impact zone’.

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**Bumped, 8/23/22 8:30pm ET**

My jaw came near the floor when I opened July’s electricity bill to find a notification of a 28% increase in electricity rates, effective immediately.  An increase of 28%…. just like that. This month, August, even higher with less use.

After the initial shock wore off, I started thinking about what this means to the working-class people in my community.

Already struggling with a doubling of gas prices, massive food price increases at the grocery store and the pain of all costs for goods far outpacing any rate of wage increase, this type of uncontrollable increase in price of electricity is going to hit hard.

In the past we have used CTH threads to spotlight the smart thinking and resourcefulness of Treepers from all walks of life.  A discussion thread where people can share tips, things that can actually be done, to help offset the financial pressures during severe economic times.  I think we may all benefit from starting a series of post like that again.

Let us share our wisdom and experience again.  There are many thousand who will benefit, as I have always done, from reading your smart tips and suggestions.

What ideas, tips and suggestions do you have to help people save money on ordinary life and living expenses?

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Several people have written to inquire about recent stories surrounding a wave of industrial accidents at food processing plants all over the U.S.  {Zero Hedge Article} {Twitter Questions, Suspicions} {List from Western Standard}

Indeed, there has been a significant increase in fires and explosions from furnaces, industrial fryers, boilers and some other rather odd incidents with aircraft hitting food processing.  The frequency even gathered attention from Fox News host Tucker Carlson.  WATCH:

Addressing the lesser frequent impact incidents from airplanes etc.  Keep in mind that major industrial food processing facilities are generally located around major transportation hubs – large arteries for commercial trucking and railway lines for inbound good deliveries.  These are the same zoned commercial regions where you find small regional airports.

So, let’s put those airplane ‘accidents” aside for a moment and look at the bigger picture.

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Wheat is an essential grain harvest in the overall food chain.  Winter wheat is planted in October and harvested the following June and July, however, the U.S. crop this year is in a tenuous position because of severe drought in the plains.  Kansas represents about a quarter of the U.S. harvest and is currently suffering through an extended dry season.

Last week, “Kansas Governor Laura Kelly declared a drought emergency, warnings and watches for every county in Kansas on Thursday due to dry conditions causing high fire danger.” (link)

We need to keep an eye on this, and it would be wise to make proactive preparations now for the possibility of a severe shortage.  This potential is what has driven the price of wheat futures, and when combined with the issues in Europe’s largest wheat producer, Russia, there’s a very real possibility of a global shortage of wheat.

The early March warnings are beginning to become more important.  “The world has grown hugely dependent on Ukraine and Russia for their wheat, a crop used in everything from bread to couscous and noodles. The nations account for a quarter of global trade. They are also cheap suppliers, which makes their exports favorites for importers in the Middle East and North Africa, including in Egypt, the world’s biggest wheat buyer.” (link)

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