Page 5 - 201311 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - November 2012

L.A. Survival Group Braces for Dec 21/12 Los Angeles survival groups brace for Dec. 21, 2012 and beyond www.whittierdailynews.com SAN FERNANDO VALLEY - Inside a used RV that's anything but recreational and loaded with survival equipment, rain has leaked through a wooden overhead bin near a light fixture. A.B. remarks that he'll have to get that fixed, and time is running short. It's now less than one month until his group's "ready" date - December 21, 2012, when the long-predicted doomsday event based on the Mayan long-form calendar could arrive. A Los Angeles-area survival group has actively recruited people with specific skills in the past few months, tying its disaster preparedness effort to Dec. 21. The founder, A.B. (who asked to remain anonymous), doesn't necessarily believe the prediction, but he's certain that something will happen eventually. "There's so many different scenarios, there's so many things that could possibly go A Los Angeles-based survival group is one of many preparing for possible disaster scenarios wrong," he said. Dec. 21, 2012. (SGVN/Staff photo by James Figueroa) A member of the U.S. Armed Forces, A.B. and several others in the group have figure out their bug-out locations and overrun places to be in a disaster. military experience that has taught them them. But this is where he lives, where his survival skills. A.B.'s group has several places picked family lives, and he believes there's safety in Preparing to survive a catastrophe has out, within California, where there's enough numbers, with multiple people capable of become its own culture, popularized by the wildlife to live off the land and water sources providing 24-hour security. cable show "Doomsday Preppers" and giving that could be used to catch fish. A.B. has five children, three of them rise to the American Preppers Network, which One location has a swimming pool young adults who live apart from him, and he offers tips and contacts to practice self-reliance where fish can be raised, a technique that A.B. wants to have the resources to take care of them. during disasters. saw on "Doomsday Preppers." Innovation is "It's a stress on my side, I worry about When it all hits the fan - or SHTF - common among preppers, and others often my family, I worry about people I care about," preppers usually have "bug-out" bags and borrow ideas. he said. "But trying to do it all, it's an locations ready to go, with means of survival The hope is to survive long enough for impossibility." such as food stores, water access and security government and society to stabilize, and A.B. His father doesn't believe in the need for measures. even cautions members to protect against extreme disaster preparedness, and A.B. There are numerous doomsday pregnancies until things return to normal. recognizes that a disaster could force him to scenarios: powerful earthquakes, a super "We hope the government will someday make some difficult decisions. volcano at Yellowstone National Park, replenish the electricity. Once that's "Just leaving my mom behind is economic and social collapse, nuclear fallout or accomplished, then everything else comes back something I do not want to think about," he said. a solar storm that destroys satellites and online," he said. "We all believe that life will The community itself is carefully electrical grids. continue, just not the way we're used to." balanced. Some applicants are rejected, with Few preppers rely on the Dec. 21 In the RV, A.B. holds up an ice cream members providing input about who gets to prediction, however. Experts on Mayan culture maker. join. say that date, the winter solstice, simply marks It isn't there for ice cream, but it's an One person, a professional clown, was the end of a cycle, no different than flipping the effective way to complete the pasteurization met with skepticism by the group because no calendar to a new year after Dec. 31. process for milk, which will come from two other skills were offered. It was a tough Despite assurances by NASA and others pygmy goats. decision, A.B. said, that never had to be made that no threat is imminent, the date has still built He also has five hens for eggs, several because the person didn't respond to a up its own mythos. potted plants, medical supplies and a kitchen questionnaire. "I do have some members who believe, full of dry and canned food that he plans to load An astrophysicist also came with some come Dec. 21, 2012, all hell is going to break up before driving out of L.A. question marks because of clashing loose," A.B. said. The parts for small wind turbines are personalities, and A.B. wound up agreeing to His survival community is large, with stored in the RV, along with two weather share some provisions as separate groups. about 65 active members and about 150 when stations, a telescope and small game traps. "I think where we're at is a stable counting spouses, children and other loved Electricity shouldn't be a problem, with five gas operation right now," he said. "I wouldn't want ones. generators, two hydro-electric generators, 10 to get anything beyond 150." [] A.B. is still willing to take in a few solar panels and several inverters. others, but only to fulfill specific functions, There are also two 450-gallon water Listen and Watch the WorldWide such as doctors, engineers and ham radio tanks and A.B.'s homemade water heater, plus a 26 Hour LIVE Broadcast of operators. U-haul truck loaded with supplies. The ‘X’ Zone 2012 Special Other members of the community And every week, A.B. works to acquire with Rob McConnell declined to be interviewed, and other groups in other goods his community might need. Thursday Dec 20 2012 at 11 pm EST the Los Angeles area also declined. Other preppers have criticized him for through Preppers often like to maintain their assembling such a large group and basing it in Saturday Dec 22 2012 at 1 am EST privacy, out of concern that outsiders might Los Angeles, often regarded as one of the worst www.xzone2012.com