To My Friends - Urgent Virus Notice

Just a note of caution.

My Anti-Virus protection software will shut my PC down and restart in Safe/DOS Mode and run a scan when it catches something.

When I woke up this morning, it was scanning in DOS mode.

I received a phone call from one of my friends who stated they 2 bogus emails from me.

So I believe that my protection software found something, but emails may have gone out.

Please delete ANYTHING emailed from my comcast.net email account in the last 24 hours.

Thank you !

TNT

Holiday Prayers

An Easter Prayer

Of all of God's gifts

Easter shows us our fate

Forgiven we will rise

And pass through Heaven's gate

This Easter remember

The sacrifice of a Son

And through His resurrection

Eternal life we have won

This Easter I pray

That the love of God

Is resurrected

Reborn, renewed

Inside your heart

God Bless You!

Amen

Passover Prayer

Freedom from bondage
And freedom from oppression,

Freedom from hunger
And freedom from want,

Freedom from hatred
And freedom from fear,

Freedom to think
And freedom to speak,

Freedom to learn
And freedom to love,

Freedom to hope
And freedom to rejoice;

Soon in our days,

Amen.

May the Creator bless you and yours always

TNT

ARRL? Amateur Radio? Hamfests? Field Day?

What is the ARRL?

The American Radio Relay League is the 150,000+ member national association for Amateur Radio in the USA. ARRL is the primary source of information about what is going on in ham radio. It provides books, news, support and information for individuals and clubs, special events, continuing education classes and other benefits for its members.

What is Amateur Radio?

Often called “ham radio,” the Amateur Radio Service has been around for a century. In that time, it’s grown into a worldwide community of licensed operators using the airwaves with every conceivable means of communications technology. Its people range in age from youngsters to grandparents. Even rocket scientists and a rock star or two are in the ham ranks. Most, however, are just normal folks like you and me who enjoy learning and being able to transmit voice, data and pictures through the air to unusual places, both near and far, without depending on commercial systems. The Amateur Radio frequencies are the last remaining place in the usable radio spectrum where you as an individual can develop and experiment with wireless communications. Hams not only can make and modify their equipment, but can create whole new ways to do things.

What are Hamfests?

Hamfests are like the anual Field Day except these can be anytime and sponsored by any ARRL club. Newbies can get on the air and see what it is all about or you can buy, sell and trade equipment.

Check Out the ARRL Hamfests and Conventions Calender at http://www.arrl.org/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar for one near you.

New Mexico has two scheduled so far:

Type: ARRL Hamfest
Start Date: 04/30/2011 End Date: 04/30/2011
Location: Transcorp 8600 Jefferson NE Albuquerque, NM 87101
Sponsor: Amateur Radio Caravan Club & Albuquerque ARC
Website: http://www.abqcaravanclub.org
Talk-In: 145.33- and 444.0+ (Both PL 100)
Public Contact: Steve Richey , KD5RHR 8220 Fairmont Drive NW Albuquerque, NM 87120
Phone: 505-899-0034
Email: kd5rhr@arrl.net

Type: ARRL Hamfest Start Date: 05/01/2011 End Date: 05/01/2011
Location: Mesilla Valley Radio Club 6609 Jefferson Las Cruces, NM 88001
Sponsor: Mesilla Valley Radio Club
Website: http://www.n5bl.org/ Talk-In: 146.640- (PL 100)
Public Contact: Terry Angle , KF5DNS 795 Suzanne Avenue Las Cruces, NM 88005
Phone: 575-640-9669
Email: kf5dns@gmail.com

What is Field Day?

ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations. It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar. The contest part is simply to contact as many other stations as possible and to learn to operate our radio gear in abnormal situations and less than optimal conditions. We use these same skills when we help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers such as walk-a-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls and museums — these are all large, preplanned, non-emergency activities. But despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems — or maybe because they ARE so complex — ham radio has been called into action again and again to provide communications in crises when it really matters. Amateur Radio people (also called “hams”) are well known for our communications support in real disaster and post-disaster situations.

Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest
and, most of all, FUN!

TNT

Step Fifteen: Family Crisis Drills - How to Make a Preparedness Plan that Works

"Emergency preparedness is a team sport.“
Eric Whitaker

Step Fifteen: Family Crisis Drills

We all have office, school and home fire drills – we should all have regular Crisis Drills. We want to be prepared to think fast during a crisis and not loose precious seconds to the fog of uncertainty, panic, shock and confusion.

Think of football teams, do they just practice the passes and running plays? No way – they also practice what to do when a pass is intercepted or there is a fumble. In these cases the offensive team must instantaneously change into defense mode and reduce the “hit” this fumble or interception causes. The really good football teams practice and do this instantaneously, seamlessly and without thought.

This does NOT mean that you take a week off from work and hole up in your house and practice “sheltering in place”. Remember those balances? Good. This means we practice the worst case scenario, which for most of us are the two mobility issues.

At minimum twice a year (3-4 times a year is ideal) have a crisis drill. One will address getting to your retreat immediately following a practice crisis and the other should address having to vacate your retreat – with at least one based on the worst possible situation – On Foot.

You can spice things up by having a contest on how quick everyone can make it to a rendezvous spot or load the vehicle and the like.

These drills are to ultimately ‘train’ us so as to cut our reaction time to facilitate keeping our survivability quotient high, without thinking, so that we can Act to Win instead of React and Loose or make do.

Next week we will put all this information into creating our Preparedness Plan …

ACT or REACT - The Need for Disaster Drills http://www.scribd.com/doc/28760473/Act-or-React-%E2%80%93-The-Need-for-Disaster-Drills
Preparedness Survival Drills By Code Name Insight (CNI) http://www.codenameinsight.com/files/PreparednessSurvival%20Drills.pdf or http://www.codenameinsight.com/files/ and the select PreparednessSurvival Drills.pdf

Step Fourteen: Bug-In or Bug-Out? - How to Make a Preparedness Plan that Works & Not Go Broke

"No man who is not willing to help himself has any right to apply to his friends, or to the gods."
Demosthenes, Greek Orator

Step Fourteen: Bug-In or Bug-Out?

I have yet to run across someone who wants to evacuate. It just rubs us humans the wrong way to have to leave our homes and possessions behind to some unknown thing. Yet to keep our survivability quotient high we have to plan for this worst case scenario and we have to understand that planning for this will NOT cause it to come true.

At a high level there are only two things that could entice us to vacate our homes:

• Some impending danger that we see or sense.
• An evacuation notice from an authoritive entity.

In the case of Evacuation Notices we must understand the following:

If a government entity suggests or orders an evacuation, they have waited until the last possible moment to issue the order – so don’t tally! We the evacuees, are solely responsible to pack and go; not our employer (even if they tell you to stay); not the government and not our neighbor or in-laws – You Alone Are Responsible for You and Yours.

In the United States there are two types of Evacuation Notices:

• Mandatory - Mandatory does not mean you are dragged out of your home kicking and screaming. Although the President can enact an executive order that gives the local authorities the power to drag you out of your home, the few times this has been done the local authorities DID NOT do so. When asked why; they stressed that they did not have enough time or manpower to go back and force people to evacuate; they barely had enough time and manpower to be sure everyone got the evacuation order in the first place.

• Suggested – This means that the authorities are not more than 50% sure that this area will be affected by the pending crisis. This usually occurs in large scope events, like hurricanes and the authorities are already maxed out dealing with the mandatory evacuation area.

The After Crisis Protocols (Search, Rescue and Emergency Assistance):

Immediately following a crisis all the “helper” entities have a large complex job to perform in the stricken area. They must be able to find and rescue the greatest number of people utilizing limited; funds, manpower, equipment and time.

To facilitate saving the most people utilizing these limited resources and taking into consideration historical crisis (evacuation percentages, etc) statistics, the following protocol was created:

• An area that was Never issued an evacuation notice of any kind, and was devastated, will be addressed First.
• An area that received a Suggested evacuation notice will be addressed Second.
• An area that received a Mandatory evacuation notice will be addressed Last.

This means that if you received an evacuation notice and you decided NOT to evacuate and now need help; the “helper” entities will go to the areas that were NOT ordered to evacuate BEFORE they help people in areas that were told to evacuate.

One of the first elements to assess the need to vacate or not is Awareness.

To be aware, take advantage of every possible type of news communication in your area: Newspapers, TV, Radio, HAM, CB, Scanners, internet, weather alerts and the like. Keep your eyes and ears open and be alert to what is going on around you. The more sources of information, the faster you will be able to determine if you can stay put or must bug-out.

The more information you have and the more aware you are, the better you can “read the signs” around you.

Some Additional Signs to keep aware of are:

• A rush or long lines at banks, gas stations or grocery, home improvement, sporting, camping and gun stores
• An increase in police, fire, rescue and military personnel and or vehicles
• An increase in barrel & barricades and trucks
• Ambulances and medical personnel are flocking to the hospitals
• Long term care facilities appear to be removing residents
• There is more traffic leaving your area than approaching

If you have been monitoring your communication and news sources then you will know if this is a city Preparedness Drill, a massive toxic spill, hurricane or whatever.

In order to determine if you should shelter in place or evacuate/bug-out I highly recommend that you listen to the 15-20 minute podcast by TheSurvivalPodcast.com (see link at end of this discussion). At the very least you and your family need to discuss the following questions:

The 12 Key Questions to Ask & Plan for are: (Thank You TheSurvivalPodcast.com)

• Which choice gives you the best chance of survival for the scenario at hand? (this is not always clear)
• How well prepared are you to shelter in place?
• What exactly are you prepared for? (a forest fire is far different from local rioting)
• Have evacuation orders been given or suggested?
• What is the nature and probable duration of the threat?
• Will staying put change anything as far as “saving your home”?
• Where will you go and how will you get there?
• Do you own a bug out location or have double up plans or no place to go at all?
• Will you be able to help your community if you stay?
• What will the impact of staying or going be on your family, can they handle what you can?
• What can you take with you and what must you leave behind?
• If you leave what exactly is waiting for you at your destination?

The two questions in red are the most important and “What will the impact of staying or going be on your family, can they handle what you can” is a double edged question:

• If you decide to stay behind and keep your family with you; can they handle the pending crisis as well as you?
• If you decide to stay behind and send them on; can you and they handle the possibility of never seeing each other again?

Remember that the needs and agendas of governments are different than that of its citizens. They are not being cruel or mean, it is just the way things are.

Bottom Line: It’s your choice, your responsibility and yours alone! Only you can determine the ultimate consequences of staying or going, for you and yours.

Next week we will cover Family Crisis Drills …

There an excellent podcast about this called: Bug In or Bug Out - 12 Questions to Ask - Episode-289 found at: http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/bug-in-or-bug-out-12-questions-to-ask It is about 30 minutes long and well worth your time.
A great article called When to Bug Out: Knowing the Signs can be found at: http://readynutrition.com/resources/when-to-bug-out-knowing-the-signs_10012010/
Another good one is Heed the Disaster, Know the Dangers at: http://readynutrition.com/resources/heed-the-disaster-know-the-danger_25012010/ “…The Effects and Damage Could Be More Than One Envisioned …”
Bug Out or Batten Down? Should you Stay or Go? by Captain Dave at: http://www.captaindaves.com/guide/bugout.htm is fantastic “…We all have a strong desire to protect what's ours. Regardless of whether you own the largest house in the neighborhood or rent a ramshackle shack, home is where the heart is, not to mention all the rest of your stuff! And Captain Dave knows you've worked long and hard to accumulate that stuff, so abandoning it and running for safety may stick in your craw. …”
Where to Find Your Community's & States Emergency Management Plans & Agencies http://www.scribd.com/doc/33720447/Where-to-Find-Your-Communitys-States-Emergency-Management-Plans-Agencies

TNT

NM OathKeepers 2nd BiAnnual Meeting/BBQ

It's time to do our next NM state level OathKeepers Meeting.

We'll be holding it in Alamogordo again (can't find other hosts) on the 23rd of April.

The Alamogordo folks will be providing burgers and dogs, while the Otero County TeaParty is providing water, ice, and sodas.

Please bring a side dish.

RSVP here http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=193289364046692.

J C
NM OathKeepers

Step Thirteen: Food & Water Storage - How to Make a Preparedness Plan that Works & Not Go Broke

“Chance favors the prepared mind.” Louis Pasteur

Step Thirteen: Food & Water Storage

Food storage includes: medical, dental and hygiene needs during a crisis as well as actual food and water.

Warning: If there is a crisis on your list that can take out electricity city wide or larger, you will lose water.

This means that even if you do NOT have any long duration crisis on your crisis list - you still need to think about water at the very least.

All Food Storage Requires:

• A place to store this
• An even cool temperature with very little if any variance (45-72 no more than 10 degree change in temp in under 28-30 hours).
• Dry
• Bug and Rodent free or proof as possible. (Yes the area and not just the container!)

The most common mistakes in Food Storage are:

• Not rotating and utilizing your food stores during non-crisis times. IE: Stock Piling and forgetting.
• Purchasing a “food kit” or all of one type of food preservation technique or “meal in a packet”. “Food Survival Kits” tend to include foods you do not normally eat, are allergic to or are all freeze dried or all canned or all dehydrated or all MRE’s. Most only have about 10 different meals – in a crisis situation you don’t want to contend with the mental depression of “taste bud boredom”.
• Third most common mistake: Attempting to store flour instead of the un-ground grain. Flour only has a 1-2 year shelf life at best, while un-ground grain has a 30+ yr shelf life.

Water

• General Rule with hygiene: MINIMUM is 1 Gallon per person per day
• Human General Average: MINIMUM of 2 liters or 8 cups per day to maintain efficiency; In general one quart of water is needed daily for every 50 pounds of body weight; Children require about 4-6 cups of fluid per day on average.

Factors that Determine the Water Needs for adults, children and pets:

• Age
• Weight - The heavier a human or pet is, usually means they need more water to sustain themselves.
• Activity - The less active one is; the less water they can get away with.
• Health - A female that is pregnant or nursing needs more water than one that is not.
• Dry pet food will require more water for the pet than wet pet food.

Do the Math

• 1 Gallon of Water = a little over 8 pounds
• Water for 1 person for 3 days = about 24 pounds
• Water for 1 person for two weeks (14) days = a little over 116 pounds
• Water for 1 person for 30 days = about 240 pounds

No matter how you look at it that is a lot of water, a lot of weight and a lot of storage space that is needed for just a two week supply for an individual, yet alone an entire family and pets.

Hint: Keep waterless anti-bacterial hand gel and or wet wipes to reduce hygiene water needs.

The survival quantity of 1 gallon per person per day - is just that – the bare, very basic, best case MINIMUM!

Next week is determining if you should stay put or bug-out …

Prepping for Animals, Pets & Livestock http://www.scribd.com/doc/31791013/Prepping-for-Animals-Pets-and-Livestock
2 Food Storage Calculators http://www.scribd.com/doc/42687042/2-Food-Storage-Calculators
Food Storage Mistakes - Yikes! http://www.scribd.com/doc/42251869/Food-Storage-Mistakes-Yikes
Cheap & Cool Pantry Can Organizer http://www.scribd.com/doc/44616263/Cheap-Cool-Pantry-Can-Organizer

*** Storing medications, both RX and OTC are covered in these documents ***
Food Storage - Starting & Maintaining http://www.scribd.com/doc/26564171/Food-Storage-Starting-Maintaining
Food & Water Storage Considerations http://www.scribd.com/doc/30485482/Food-and-Water-Storage-Considerations
Shelf Life Information on Lots of Things http://www.scribd.com/doc/42690147/Shelf-Life-Information-on-Lots-of-Things

"Maybe a person's time would be as well spent raising food
as raising money to buy food."
Frank A. Clark

TNT