Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, June 24, 2023

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Mountain View News Saturday, June 24, 2023 

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges [www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com]


Comical “COSMO!”

Cosmo is the cutest tuxedo 
kitten with an adorable little 
“milk mus-tache.” He is a 
high-energy boy with a can-
do spirit! He plays with anything 
and everything, and is 
currently learning how to play 
fetch! During rest breaks, he 
loves to cuddle up on the neck of whoever is around and 
purr nonstop. 

Cosmo would do best in a house with another young cat. 
Although he has not been around dogs, he might be a 
good addition to a household with a dog due to his fearlessness 
and energy level. Born 3/2023. 

Submit adoption application on our website.


–SETTING SURVIVAL PRIORITIES



[Nyerges is the author of “Urban Survival Guide,” “Extreme Simplicity: Homesteading in 
the City,” “How to Survive Anywhere,” and other books on survival and self-reliance. For 
more information on his classes and books, go to www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com, or Box 
41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041.]



We’re always talking about “being prepared” but what does that actually mean, 
in prac-tice? In general, “being prepared’ means being ready for some calamity 
that might hap-pen, but we hope it doesn’t. 

Does everyone prepare the same way? Of course not. Everyone’s situation is 
always just a little bit different, depending on many factors. Your planning and prepping should 
re-flect your unique life situation. And even if this may seem obvious to some of you , let’s look at 
the factors that go into emergency planning.

YOUR HOUSEHOLD

The size and makeup of your household has a lot to do with your planning. Do you live alone? Are 
you strong and fit? Does your household include elderly, children, or those with special medical 
needs? Is everyone you live with all on the same page when it comes to how to be prepared for an 
emergency? (This is rarely the case). 

I suggest you make a list of all the “must-have” needs for YOUR family, and make sure you always 
have extra of those items.

YOUR LOCATION

Do you live in an urban area, or in a rural area? Or do you live somewhere in-between, in suburbia? 
Do you know your neighbors? Are you involved with community groups? Do you have a 
sense of the people who live around you? Does your location experience reg-ular deep cold or very 
hot conditions? Is your area prone to flooding? Do you live in an isolated area? 

So, although we can agree that there are certain basics that can apply to everyone every-where, 
the WHO and the WHERE of your situations are going to be the key factors for how you go about 
your specific planning.

I suggest you keep a map on the wall of YOUR area, and list all the likely emergencies that you 
should do what you can to be ready for. This includes the supplies you need, the pos-sibility of 
evacuation, and the need to stay in touch with your neighbors.

SPECIFICS

Since we are not defining a specific “survival situation” here, you can use your imagination to see 
what sorts of situations have happened in your area in the past, and attempt to be prepared for 
that. For example, natural disasters include flooding, high winds, tornadoes, wild fires, earthquakes, 
drought, etc. Man-made disasters include economic downturns, riots for various causes, 
civil war, war by invasion, deadly fumes from factories, spilled chemicals, etc. 

There are a lot of threats to our health and safety, and it’s nearly impossible to prepare for everything. 
But knowing your local area makes a big difference, since part of your planning will be to 
evacuate, or figure out how to stay safe in place.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

I posed this question about how to set survival priorities to a variety of individuals. I wanted to 
learn how others approached the topic. Some that I spoke to are experts in their fields, and some 
simply live with their families and want to be safe. I told them that I’d like to hear whatever they 
felt was important both in terms of the “big picture” and in terms of not letting “little things” turn 
into major disasters. Here are some of their varied responses:

BARTON BOEHM

Barton Boehm is a martial arts master who did his training in Japan under harsh condi-tions. 
He authored the book, “Lessons from a 21st Century Samurai: The Seiken Way.” He is currently 
retired but still does some limited martial arts training.



He tells me, “In order to answer the question, how to prioritize survival, one needs to an-swer the 
question what does one mean by survival? Everyone will have a slightly differ-ent answer.

And then, no matter how much you prioritize or prepare, things will never happen how you imagined! 
I speak from experience. 

“With this thought in mind I offer the following suggestions:

First, survival is not a matter of preparation or priority. It is a way of living your life de-liberately 
and in full awareness of what is most important to you. 

Second, we survive collectively and not as individuals. It’s imperative we think ‘prepare to share, 
not to prepare to survive.’

Third, the more we think of how to help, the better our we can prioritize and what to prepare for.

The actual preparations that each person does is academic and will automatically unfold before 
you.”

 I found myself agreeing with Boehm in the larger sense that you should find a way to live 
y our life deliberately will full awareness in order to be the most prepared for anything.



JULIA HAN, a professional living and working in Los Angeles:

Since Han is the only person I spoke to who lives in the heart of Los Angeles, I found her comments 
most useful and insightful.

She says “Because I live in a dense urban area of Los Angeles, there are advantages with the close 
proximity to people and supplies. But the disadvantages are that I don't have a lot of space to store 
things and that I rely heavily on municipal infrastructure and stores for basic needs. I drive on 
the roads of LA on a daily basis and I work in a high rise, and both environments have their own 
set of risks. I rent a small studio ADU which limits my ability to store/grow food and store/collect 
water. I live in the middle of the city, so I don't have immediate access to natural sources for water, 
plants, and other materials.



“Therefore, my survival priorities are as follows:



1)People: In the urban environment, I think the top priority is recognizing the im-portance
of working with people in any emergency situation. I try to build and maintain good relations
with my neighbors, and take advantage of opportunities to engage with my community, such as
through my community garden.

2)Being alert, cautious, and observant: This is true on a daily basis in the city, but even more so
during major events. I try to be constantly aware of who is around me, who might need help, and
take common sense precautions.

3)Skill-building: One advantage of living where I live is the abundant opportunity for hands-on
learning. I go to local survival classes, foraging/ethnobotany classes, and I took the CERT training, 
all of which have been so helpful. I also plan to take Angelo Cerveras’ highly recommended
self-defense classes.

4)Planning for infrastructure failure: I do what I can with the following, but in my sit-uation, I
know that "prepping" itself may be useless without the priorities mentioned above.

• water: storing what I can, knowing my nearest water sources, having methods of
purification

• power: storing non-electrical sources for warmth, cooking, and light, as well as so-lar-
charged battery for small devices

• travel: bicycle as alternative to vehicle, city/regional map (street and topographic)

• safety/medical: first aid supplies, protective equipment, basic training in bleeding control,
CPR, and administering first aid

• information: hand-crank radio”

Pet of the Week

 
Three-year-old Doberman Pinscher Eli is always up for an 
adventure! He’s a SoCal dog for sure- one minute he’s hiking 
in the mountains, the next he’s frolicking in the ocean! Eli 
recently took a field trip with some of his friends at Pasadena 
Humane. He went to the beach and had a blast! He loved the 
surf, the smell of the ocean air and chasing crabs! He met lots 
of new friends, human and canine, and was a perfect gentleman 
to everyone. Eli is ready to be your copilot on your next 
outing! The adoption fee for dogs is $150. 

All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, 
and age-appropriate vaccines. New adopters 
will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, 
as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet. 


View photos of adoptable pets and schedule an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.
org. 

Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every 
Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. 

 
Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by 
phone calls or email. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com