Where we live in the Pacific Northwest our state was just one of several states over the past few months that issued a false warning emergency. On May 31, 2018, at 8:30 pm, an emergency notice went across televisions in multiple counties warning people of a “civil emergency.” There was little info in the warning (below is a screenshot). It just said “Prepare for Action.” Scary right?!

Afterwards, residents were told that a “glitch” cut off crucial information in this alert, which was referring to elevated levels of a toxin in the reservoir of drinking water. It was a real alert, but this “glitch” had not explained the whole situation. Residents weren’t supposed to drink the tap water in certain areas. Well, I’ve been thinking about this over the weeks since this happened and trying to put it into context of the other false alerts that have gone out recently.

1. Hawaii – On January 13, 2018, Hawaii received a broadcast to cell phones and television that said a missile was on its way to Hawaii and that it was not a drill.

2. Maine – In February 2018, a false alarm in the Portland area warned residents of a tsunami on the way. The message turned out to be a test, but no agency has taken responsibility for mistakenly sending it out.

3. Alaska – Another two-minute test message was mistakenly sent to TV and radio in Alaska indicating that a tsunami threat was imminent. It was supposed to say at the start of the message that it was a test, but it didn’t say so until the end.

So…Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon…that’s a large part of the country affected by these warnings. Why do you think that is? Do you believe it’s because the Emergency Alert System isn’t working very well? If so, that doesn’t give me confidence that the Emergency Alert System will respond appropriately when we really need it to.

Maybe it really is human error. Maybe a hacker has figured out some systems they could get into, and it’s easier to say the warnings were a “mistake” than to admit to a hacking. Do you think that maybe a missile really WAS heading to Hawaii, and somehow they diverted it?

I was talking with a friend about this the other day. Some people believe the Illuminati is working behind the scenes to save the human race by secretly controlling things. My friend said the false warnings were intentionally sent by the Illuminati to scare people just enough to become more prepared, so that when there is some kind of disaster that more humans will survive. What say you?

Survival on Screen is where Shadow Fox takes a look at survival and field craft practices in movies and TV. Some are great, others not so much. We break down what’s happening on screen and what viewers should or shouldn’t take away from the production.

National Geographic’s first season of its adventure series brings us an eclectic set of characters with a variety of skills trekking across the Alaskan wilderness. The beauty of the northernmost state provides a breathtaking canvas for the beginning of an unfortunately short-lived and entertaining reality series.

USA drops 8 adventurers into the Alaskan wild lands with the objective of crossing a stretch of land in 72 hours. Over 10 episodes, the men will cross 3,000 miles of terrain and battle weather, beasts and each other. While it’s not a race by traditional means, being left behind is a real consequence if they don’t make their pickup point in time. The men will cross the land in many ways the same fashion as the explorers before them working for National Geographic.

At the start of each episode, the men divide themselves into teams. Each team works on a different way to get to their destination whether it’s building a raft (or a different variation of a raft), selecting a land route. Each team member has different skills that allows them to help their team survive in the unforgiving environment. For instance, Tyrell Seavy, a fisherman, is able to build a net to catch salmon and provide his comrade with valuable protein. Tyler Johnson, a civil engineer, is able to build a primitive water filter when his team needs hydration. He’s also able to modify boats his team uses to travel on water.

The men only carry what they’ve packed. Their kits have been carefully selected to sustain them throughout the competition. A few carry handguns and rifles for hunting and dealing with bears, while one carries a bow for hunting. One man, Willi Prittie, carries a pressure cooker with him. He says the pressure cooker preserves the nutrients in the food better than traditional cooking.

Food is constant struggle in the competition. Each team has a ration of rice and beans, but that will only get you so far. The men must hunt and forage for their meals and compete with the animals that are doing the same thing. Most of all, they must rely on their resilience and wits to finish each leg of the race.

There’s a lot of adrenaline to go around as the men brave roaring rapids and gut wrenching rappels. The men are constantly at odds with bears, and every encounter causes them to double take after seeing the massive predators. There are moments when the men are dangerously close to hypothermia. Mistakes can lead to injuries and even loss of valuable equipment.

As hard as it is to move through the wilderness, staying in place is just as difficult. The men must make their own shelters each night to keep themselves warm, dry and safe from animals.

Ultimate Survival Alaska’s first season is an entertaining and insightful show. Watching each member show off their own individual skills can give new ideas on how to modify your own methods of survival. Most of all, it’s inspiring. The Alaskan wilderness never ceases to amaze the eyes, and every episode leaves you looking toward your pack and boots, plotting your next adventure.