Brace Yourselves, Winter is Coming...

Here in the northern hemisphere, the seasons are changing. Autumn has made its presence known, and that means winter is just around the corner. This also means chances of closed roads, power outages, and other inconveniences that could be emergencies for those who are unprepared. You don't need to be a survivalist to take some basic precautions.

• Do you have means to heat your home and cook food if the power goes out?
• Can you store food and other necessities to get you though a severe storm plus the wait for roads to be cleared and services to be restored?
• Is your car equipped for winter conditions, and do you have an emergency kit prepared for anything that might happen while you are on the road?
• Have you made sure shovels, roof rakes, and other equipment is accessible and in good repair? Have you done a tune-up on snowblowers and other equipment?

Even if you're not in snow country, take this post as a reminder to assess your situation. Texas had a nasty ice storm a couple years back. Hurricanes are hitting the Southeast. We just had a supply chain hiccup with a longshoreman strike that led to some panic in parts of the country.

I don't want to be too much of a prophet of doom, but we may be facing more than seasonal challenges, too. We're still dealing with the deepest inverted yield curve in US bond history. The US Federal Reserve just cut rates at "emergency response" levels despite assuring us the economy is fine. I don't trust Trump or Harris to de-escalate conflicts around the world, and either one may increase belligerence.

Similar problems also confront people worldwide to one degree or another. We still haven't recovered economically from COVID interventionism, inflation, and corporate cronyism. As I see it, winter is coming both literally and metaphorically. Act accordingly. Store food, build community, expand your skills, and stay warm.