I was wondering what the military is giving out as the "military rations" along with the bags of ice and cases of water bottles. Anyone know? I'd also like to know what FEMA gives out, in case we find ourselves dining al fresco on government grub some day.

In it has been a combination of standard MREs and the Humanitarian version of the MREs called HDR (Humanitarian Daily Ration). You will more then likely get the HDRs which are basically vegan (no animal products) and have no heater. These are typically in a Pink or Yellow package similar to the MRE packaging and contain around 2200 calories... They are pretty much horrible, worse then the current menu of MREs.

Other agencies will have other meals and food stuffs and when they setup shelters they will more then likely provide hot meals as soon as they are able to. There are some caterers that are setup specifically to support emergency incidents that travel around supporting disasters and fires that have some pretty good food (especially considering the quantities they produce).

The third option beyond MREs and HDRs (heh heh, I love the army's obsession with acronyms) are so called Heater Meals or Jimmy Deans. Heater meals contain a tub style TV dinner and a heater. "Jimmy Deans" contain off the shelf ready to eat canned food in single serving all inclusive meals (there is probably a correct name for them, but most people call them Jimmy Deans). Its what the Army feeds people when they don't feel they need an MRE. Like missed meals in garrison, versus giving you a field ration.

From one of the pictures I saw on Yahoo the "Jimmy Dean" is what I'd expect. The caption said MREs but the box definitely wasn't an MRE box, looks like the "Jimmy Dean" meal box. They're generally horrible, I'd much prefer an MRE. I think they may have the benefit of being cheaper then MREs. They'll have canned macaroni and cheese, canned frank and beans, Bumblebee Ham salad, etc. plus a few extras like canned fruit cocktail or Pringles. This is where a small stove will make its weight as several of these things are fairly nasty cold, but much better hot.

I'm surprised that the civilian version of the veggie MREs are so bad. In my experience, the veggie MREs are some of the best. The pasta is excellent. Some of the worst are the meat dishes, such as those labeled "chunked and formed" which are anything but appetizing. Trying them without the heater is even worse, such as when we were sealed in a military building in FPCON "Delta" just after 9/11, and MREs were distributed to us, but the heaters could not be used as we were indoors and the chemical heater fumes were determined to be hazardous. But that's another story...

I was just doing a little reading on HDRs and ran across a factoid about why there are pink (technically, salmon colored) and yellow versions.

The original HDR was yellow, and shortly after the invasion of Afghanistan started, the US started air dropping HDRs all over the place (actually, I remember seeing news reports of this). Unfortunately, unexploded cluster munitions are also yellow in color and there was a concern that people would inadvertently blow themselves up trying to collect these yellow-colored objects that had fallen from the sky. I mean, the cluster bombs were shaped like cans. How's an illiterate farmer supposed to know that it's not a can of beans or something? There were radio broadcasts warning the civilian population about the danger. I sure hope no one did get confused between the two.

Hmm, that sounds too much like Soylent Red and Soylent Yellow to me. No thanks.

I'm told that the Red Cross works extensively with the Southern Baptists to prepare food in Gulf Coast shelters, and its pretty good, not MREs or HDRs as long as their kitchens are open.

Another Red Cross volunteer who has staffed shelters many times warned to bring along some of your own provisions - apples, granola bars etc - as especially early on they may not have the food logistics worked out and will go hungry, or will be eating bags of chips and other junk food that don't particularly nourish you.

I was originally thinking that these HDRs in places like Afghanistan were air dropped on pallets all wrapped up in yards of plastic wrap and land by parachute. But doing more reading, apparently the individual HDRs were just dumped out of the plane loose, and the packaging is designed so the meals "flutter" to the ground, slowing them down just enough to keep the bags from spliting open on impact.

Well, gee, that delivery method sure sounds like what happens when you drop a cluster bomb, too. No wonder the fear of people getting the two mixed up!

Cows are herbivores, geesh every knows that except it seems the corporations who turn cattle in to burgers. Dead folks become natural fertiliser anyway, it just takes a little longer. Hmm Sounds like a agrochemical/petrochemical/industrial agent provocateur who has infiltrated the 'green movement' to spout utter drivel to undermine those that warn against the future problems of global warming.

I caught wind of the Penn and Teller episode on Being Green. They espoused the assertion that 97% of the CO2 produced is from natural phenomena, like rotting organic matter, volcanic activity, and forest fires, which leaves 3% attributed directly to human activity. 3% doesn't seem like much of an impact. In fact, it seems more like it would be in the realm of statistical error. One too many forest fires, the human factor is in the grass.

Conversely, I see where the notion of scrubbing the atmosphere with CO2 collectors is getting attention, again. I guess that'd be a good justification for all this wind power we want to implement. Gee, use a more expensive form of energy to counteract the effects of the cheaper form, I'm all for it...beats building another coal plant to do the same I suppose.

LOL