NM Urban Homesteader

Are You In Control of Your Essentials & Desires?

2012-01-29T11:57:00.000-08:00

“We are driven by five genetic needs:
survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun.”
William Glasser

We humans are way too wrapped up in pursuing our fantasies, dreams and pursuit of happiness that we often create a living environment that we despise and try to escape from. We are hooked into believing that we won’t have more time or money in the future or that we won’t be part of the “in crowd” if we don’t spend NOW on this or that. To top it off we tend to do this to ourselves, like we are just a bunch of glutens for punishment.

We are constantly bombarded with the images of the “perfect” kitchen gadget, garden tool, sweater, house, yard or look and style; that we have no true idea what we ourselves actually like or dislike. As a result we are often like the hamster on the training wheel, running in circles and getting nowhere.

“Frugality may be termed the daughter of Prudence, the sister of Temperance, and the parent of Liberty”
Samuel Johnson

We convince ourselves that we can control the future, if we just get this or do that NOW. We fail to keep in mind that we humans basically control nothing but ourselves. The future will be what it will be.

For those of us that wish to be self-reliant or prepared, this distinction between needs and wants can be a major roadblock to our success.

"Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs
that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions."
Niccolo Machiavelli

A need is something you have to have, something you can't do without. A good example is food. If you don't eat, you won't survive for long. Many people have gone days without eating, but they eventually ate a lot of food. You might not need a whole lot of food, but you do need to eat.

A want is something you would like to have. It is not absolutely necessary, but it would be a good thing to have. A good example is music. Now, some people might argue that music is a need because they think they can't do without it. But you don't need music to survive. You do need to eat.

“Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it.
The more a man has, the more he wants.
Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.”
Benjamin Franklin

Our needs are relatively few, even from birth. We don’t need a lot of stuff, toys, gadgets, etc. The most basic needs you as a human require for survival are oxygen, water, food, clothing and shelter from the elements, clothing, food, love and understanding; we need friends and family around us. Anything beyond those are "wants".

When we cannot distinguish between wants versus needs, or if we can't identify a want as a want, we set ourselves up to live in a constant state of craving and disappointment.

“If you want to feel rich,
just count the things you have that money can't buy”
Proverb

We can see this when we look in our drawers, closets and kitchens. How many gadgets, trinkets and articles of clothing do we have that we really, really wanted when we purchased them, yet at best have only utilized once or twice in the last two years? These items were wants and desires and not needs or essentials.

There is nothing wrong with wanting these things. However we need understand that these things, in and of themselves, are not necessities to human life and often do not make us happy. Plus they are links in the chains that bind us to activities and jobs we ultimately despise or from obtaining our true goals.

“Life belongs to the living,
and he who lives must be prepared for changes.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Read on to learn how to identify the addictive cycle of "more" or "not enough" as well as tips on how to avoid it.

“A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them;
the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."
Proverbs 22:3

TNT

Vinegar In All Its Wonder & Common Uses

2012-01-16T08:47:00.001-08:00

Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water. The acetic acid is produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. It is today mainly used in the kitchen, but historically, as the most easily available mild acid, it had a great variety of industrial, medical and domestic uses. Commercial vinegar today, is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes.

In today’s perceived ‘time pressed’ world, many of its great uses have been forgotten. However, since the ‘silent economic depression’ seems to be dragging on, vinegar is again being used in place of the newer more expensive products and since vinegar has an almost limitless shelf life, it is a great, inexpensive item for long term emergency storage.

Unopened bottles of vinegar can be stored indefinitely. Producers recommend that opened bottles should be used up within 6 months to enjoy peak flavor; although many (including me) have kept vinegars much longer than that (years!). All bottles should be kept in a cool, dark place - including those gourmet bottles with sprigs of herbs inside. You need to choose if they’ll be food or decor, since daily exposure to bright light can alter the flavor over time.

Remember long term storage for most things (especially food and medical items) need cool, dry, dark places. The opposite of what is generally needed to grow them

While most people think of vinegar as something that is made from wine, it can be made from the fermented juices of virtually any plant material, including rice, grain and fruit. Thus, while European vinegar is basically an alcoholic beverage that has gone sour (the word vinegar that we use today is French for sour wine vin is wine and aigre means sour), around the world vinegars are made from a broad variety of bases.

Vinegar is a totally natural food. In a bottle of vinegar there are no harmful chemicals or preservatives, indeed vinegar is a preservative itself. There are so many ways that you can utilize its virtues. It is not just for vinaigrette dressing. There are many healing functions you can use it for. It cleans and sanitizes almost as well or better than anything on the market, it deodorizes and is a natural way to get rid of ants, other insects, and unwanted weeds. Vinegar through history has also been a good way to preserve foods. It is of course used in pickling but also when you marinate meat it kills unwanted bacteria such as ecoli.

The many uses of vinegar have been passed down through the centuries from medical, food preservation and condiment ingredient, to cleaning. White vinegar is especially popular for the treatment of rashes, bites and other minor ailments when camping.

Vinegar actually makes itself when aerobic bacteria (Acetobacter aceti or often called Mother of Vinegar) comes in contact with alcohol, while exposed to oxygen. The bacteria turn the alcohol to acetic acid and water; the acid that is found in all vinegars. Acetic acid is what gives vinegar its unique sharp sour taste. While acetic acid provides the vinegar with its primary taste component, it is the nature of the actual alcohol itself that gives the vinegar its specific character.

So, is it worth it to make your own vinegar?

It is becoming more and more popular to make your own vinegar or enhance store bought vinegar. Good homemade vinegar, when made properly, generally has a much better taste and more variety of flavors than the store bought. It is also fun just to see the process of nature at work.

Making simple cider or white vinegar can be cheaper than store bought, not always though.

Homemade vinegar does have one drawback – the acidity level will vary greatly, as us home producers do not have all the strategic testing of the acidic level to guarantee a consistent level. It can be done, however it will be way more of a time consuming thing, than an expense thing.

You can basically make vinegar from anything that has sugar in it.

First the sugars must change to alcohol. Then airborne bacteria turn the alcohol into acetic acid.

You can make vinegar from sugar water or molasses.

For some facts, history, uses, how-to’s and resources on the Wonderful World of Vinegar! see http://www.scribd.com/doc/78280149/Vinegar-in-All-Its-Wonder-Common-Uses

“If it is to be, it is up to me.”
William H. Johnsen
Depression-era realist/impressionist painter

TNT

The Household Cyclopedia-Over 10,000 Useful Domestic Arts How-to's 1881

2012-01-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

A great online resource that is downloadable @ http://www.mspong.org/cyclopedia/download/cyclopedia.pdf is The Household Cyclopedia of General Information. It contains over 10,000 'receipts' or homemade items concerning useful and domestic arts - all of them; from agriculture to wines.

It was published in 1881 by Henry Hartshorne, M.D. who was a professor of Hygiene at the University of Pennsylvania. There were a slew of other contributors to this endeavor, from a report on the trial of agricultural implements that occurred at the Great National Field Trial in Auburn, New York and a treatise on Bees by E.S. Tuper; Plus much, much more.

This is a great digital item to have printed and bound, then given as a gift. Of course keep a hardcopy for your library too ;-}

“The only easy day was yesterday.”
From On Lavender Lane by JoAnn Ross

TNT

A Few Thoughts on that Nasty "M" word

2012-01-02T11:50:00.001-08:00

First and foremost let’s not confuse Militia with Militant. There is a distinct difference between the two – Despite the misuse of Militia instead of Militant by our news media and government.

militant adj. 1 Pertaining to conflict with opposing powers of influences. 2 Of warlike or combative tendency; aggressive -noun A combative person; a soldier.

militia noun. 1 A body of citizens enrolled and drilled in military organizations other than the regular military forces, and called out only in emergencies. 2 U.S. All able-bodied citizens not members of the regular military forces.

criminal noun. 1 One who has committed an offense punishable by law.

Second we cannot confuse Militia with 3 Percenters

Basically a 3 Percenter is a mindset of doing what is needed, when it is needed no matter what the cost. They essentially ‘buy time’ for others around them to come to their senses and or mobilize, in an intense/dangerous situation; which usually results in death. Three Percenters today are mostly American gun owners who have taken a stand.

If you are a history buff, you can find other examples of the Mindset of 3 Percenters:

The 300 Spartans and the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC - These men sacrificed themselves to buy time for the whole of Greece!
Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 - These men sacrificed themselves to buy time for the whole of our new fledgling country!
Battle at the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) These men sacrificed themselves to buy time for Sam Houston to rally the rest of the troups for the independence of Texas!
Siege of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, December 21, 1944 (there abouts) These soldiers were surrounded, had few supplies and it was the dead of winter. Yet they stood their ground and sacrificed their lives to stop the Nazi’s last ditch effort to turn the tide of this war!

Militias, are a form of citizen-based defense that shaped early American history and created an American tradition of citizen soldiery. Early American colonies faced dangers from Native American and European foes. Colonial governments quickly established universal military obligation for white males. At its simplest, men were armed or ordered to arm themselves, organized into units, and trained.

The modern concept of the militia is as a defensive organization against invaders. It grew out of the Anglo-Saxon "fyrd". In times of crisis, the militiaman left his civilian duties and became a soldier until the emergency was over, when he returned to his civilian occupation and life.

In understanding these different meanings and the history of militia, one would think we should now be able to use the word and it can lose some of its nasty connotations. However, Theory and Reality are like apples and oranges – they are not interchangeable!

So let me stress again – Militia are NOT Militant in and of themselves. Yes, some militant groups (there is good and bad in everything) abuse the word militia in their group names. Overall militia groups are NOT the Ruby Ridge; Waco; Hutaree or Timothy McVeigh’s of our recent past.

Read on for in-depth definitions of these words, as well as a little bit of history to further explain their differences and some detail on the various “Militia Acts” that have been passed. And last but not least, how YOU can correct the 'bad' image that the word Militia now evokes and what to do with militia groups around you, with a complete list of resources from the pros.

Now is time to don your armor of knowledge and Prep On ;-}

TNT

Another Year of New Year’s Traditions & Resolutions

2011-12-29T19:09:00.000-08:00

New Year's is the closest thing to being the world's only truly global public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts.

In waves of celebrations travel across the globe; whether it is the glittering ball in Times Square or a giant cheese wedge in Plymouth, Wisconsin, champagne flutes clink and kisses are exchanged as countless people toast the New Year.

New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome. With most countries using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar. January 1 on the Julian calendar currently corresponds to January 14 on the Gregorian calendar, and it is on that date that followers of some of the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the New Year.

So where did all these traditions and resolutions start?

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring) around what is now March 23, although they themselves had no written calendar.

The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.

The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.

The Romans tradition of the New Year's goes all the way back to Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar, via their solar calendar which put it in late March.

As their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors it soon became out of synchronization with the sun. So in order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year.

But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, (who developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had) established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It established January 1 as the new year. However, in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1.

The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar calendars. Some cultures have lunar calendars, however. A year in a lunar calendar is less than 365 days because the months are based on the phases of the moon.

The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their new year begins at the time of the first full moon (over the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius- sometime between January 19 and February 21.

It is believed that the Babylonians were the first to make New Year's resolutions and people all over the world have been breaking them ever since. The early Christians believed the first day of the new year should be spent reflecting on past mistakes and resolving to improve oneself in the new year.

Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

Noisemaking and fireworks on New Year's eve is believed to have originated in ancient times, when noise and fire were thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck.

Legend has it that the Chinese made the first fireworks in the 800s, filling bamboo shoots with gunpowder and exploding them at the New Year with the hope that the sound would scare away evil spirits. According to tradition, Marco Polo brought this technology back to Europe.

It's fair to say, however, that the origins of fireworks are shrouded in smoke; the China story is widespread, and possibly true, but fireworks may in fact have developed in India or the Arab world. Fireworks became known in Europe during the 1300s, probably after returning Crusaders brought them from the East.

Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.

“Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions.
Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual."
Mark Twain commenting on New Year's Day

In an effort to make this next year better than the last, millions vow to kick bad habits and improve themselves .

Unfortunately, most people make resolutions with the best intention of following through on them. However they usually do not get through March before they either forget the resolutions or put them off for “lack of time”. It's hard to change old habits, most people make resolutions and set goals either to start doing something on a daily basis or to stop doing something as long as they can.

A University of Washington study in 1997 found 47 percent of the 100 million adult Americans who make resolutions give up on their goals after two months. This figure has grown to 80 percent in the past decade, according to recent research completed at the University of Minnesota.

There are quite a few different sources claim to know what the top New Year's resolutions are that people make each year and the United States government is no exception!

According to the U.S. Government these are Popular New Year's Resolutions

Lose Weight/Get Fit/Eat Right
Manage Debt/Save Money
Get a Better Job
Get a Better Education
Drink Less Alcohol
Quit Smoking
Reduce Stress
Take a Trip
Volunteer to Help Others

If those ‘government‘ resolutions aren't creative enough, or you like to think outside of the box, here are some other ideas for New Year's resolutions that are not included on the U.S. Government's list.

Get Prepared – Write a plan, make a kit, stay informed and aware, practice
Be responsible for yourself
Become as self-reliant as possible
Think for yourself
Organize your living space or just Get Organized
Stop procrastinating and wasting time
Relieve the stress in your life
Improve your relationships with your family and other people
Enjoy Life
Spend Time with Family
Learn Something New
Go Environmentally Conservative
Improve Community

Tips for Achieving New Year's Goals

While the statistics are grim, our intentions to make 2012 the best year yet aren't doomed. Experts agree that writing down resolutions, sharing goals with others and tracking your progress; can help you achieve success.

No matter which resolution is chosen, following through with achieving it can be a life changing experience for the better. Each year we are given an opportunity to start fresh with a new goal, and new inspiration of attaining it.
While some have the best of intentions, and try to make a genuine effort to change whatever needs to be improved in order to enhance their quality of life, others often give up shortly after determining their goals.
The percentage of those who actually reach their goals is quite low. Setting goals that are attainable is the best way to achieve success no matter what the resolution is. It is better to take small steps toward a goal than to set too big of a goal and give up altogether. Some change is better than none.
Decide on what is attainable and then take actions to achieve it. For example, instead of making a goal to lose 30 pounds, make a goal to lose 5 pounds. Once that is achieved, set another goal of losing 5 more pounds, that way success can be achieved and continued.

Read on for more history on the traditions, celebrations and resolutions of old and new!!!

Prep On ;-}

TNT

PS - Here are my resolutions:

Think for myself
Blaze my own path
Treat others as I wish to be treated
Get even more self-reliant
Be even more prepared for the unexpected
Don't settle for 'the lesser of evils' - Don't 'settle' period!

Today is the Tomorrow that you worried about Yesterday

Tis the Season

2011-12-24T08:43:00.000-08:00

Ah December, that month between giving thanks for the abundance of the harvest to shore us up through the “twilight” time of the year and the marking of the hope and promise of the new year ahead. Yep traditionally human-kind has had a good portion of our “holidays” between the seasons of fall and spring. This tells me that we were closely monitoring and relying on the cycles of the seasons.

“Thank you Creator for all the opportunities you have provided me with this year. I ask only for patience, tolerance and understanding toward all that You have created and the wisdom to grow and live with it in harmony and peace.”

Throughout history humans have created rituals to emphasize important transitional times in our lives. We mark and record these transitions on a regular basis based on the skies above our heads, to our own human designed calendars and create traditions. There is one common theme to our rituals, festivals and holy days throughout the ages, especially during winter – to be humble as we remind ourselves that humans are but a very miniscule part of the universe around us.

The Holiday Season in the month of December is not just about all the various spiritual observances. No instead we should remember that winter is celebrated all over the world with various celebrations, holidays and festivals that are linked to the solstice, in addition to religions and traditions.

My heritage and grandparents have given me a unique blend of Scotch/Irish Winter Solstice with a Yule log and the Roman Saturnalia, all mixed with “modern” Christianity.

Although neither set of grandparents had a tree in the house, they both decorated an outdoor “tree of green” with gifts from the harvest for our wild friends (seeds in cakes of lard, cranberries, popcorn, etc).

Small gifts of thanks and good will were exchanged between family members and close friends. Midnight mass or “prayer of thanks” (depending on the weather) was a ritual common to both sides of the family. Above all was the hope of spring, better times ahead, saving grace and thanks for making it through the current year.

Give us, O God, the vision which can see Your love in the world in spite of human failure.
Give us the faith to trust Your goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness.
Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts.
And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace.
Frank Borman, Apollo 8 space mission, 1968

TNT

Make Your Own Reusable & Washable ‘Swifter’ Replacements

2011-12-08T17:23:00.001-08:00

I don’t know about the rest of you but my city charges us by weight for our trash pickup. I also just hate having to keep using and tossing when I dust or mop, even though I love the convenience of not having to drag out a big mop and bucket or duster. Not only that, but thinking ahead to when I complete my move to the country, where there is NO weekly trash pick-up – well you can see my dilemma. My solution was to make my own ‘Swifter’ replacements that I can reuse and wash, instead of use and toss.

I usually purchase my micro fiber and ‘Sham-Wow’ type cloths at the dollar store. However, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, CVS, Eckerd, Target, K-Mart and Wal-Mart all carry them. I have found that the micro fiber that are for electronics and are anti-static, work the best for durability and dusting.

Micro Fiber ‘Swifter’ Duster

Materials:

Microfiber cloth – at least 2 rectangles of cloth 7 ½ x 4 ½ and 2 rectangles of cloth 8” x 5”
Pinking Shears
Sewing machine & thread

1. Center a small and large rectangle then - Double stitch the middle of the layers of cloth together down the middle. Then zig-zag stitch over this. Do this for each ‘set’ rectangles.

2. Put at least 2 ‘sets’ of stitched cloth together, with the larger rectangles to the outside - ie: the larger pieces to the top and bottom, smaller pieces to the center.

3. Double stitch the middle of the ‘sets’ of cloth together down the middle. Then zig-zag stitch over this.

4. 1 1/2 inches from the center seam, on both sides of the center seam, sew another double seam. Just to the outside of these two new seams, zig-zag another seam. These may overlap. This will hold the “prongs” of your Swifter Duster.

5. Use pinking shears to cut strips of cloth. Stagger the cuts for each layer of cloth. Be careful NOT to cut your stitching that is for the handle prongs to the duster.

You now have a washable, reusable swifter duster and no longer have to keep purchasing and throwing out the disposable dusters.

For the Floor ‘Swifter’ Duster

Materials:

Microfiber cloth – enough for at least 2 8 ½ x 11 ½ cloths
Pinking Shears
Sewing machine & thread

1. Use the pinking shears to cut as many 8 ½ x 11 ½ micro fiber cloths as you feel you may need.

2. Optional: Zig-zag stitch ½ inside the entire outer edge to prevent fraying.

These are your floor washable, reusable floor swifter cloths.

For your Wet ‘Swifter’

Materials:

Sham-wow cloth – enough for at least two 8 ½ x 11 ½ cloths
Pinking Shears
Sewing machine & thread

1. Use the pinking shears to cut as many 8 ½ x 11 ½ ‘Sham-wow’ cloths as you feel you may need.

2. Optional: Zig-zag stitch ½ inside the entire outer edge to prevent fraying.

Use these for your washable, reusable wet swifter floor cloths.

For Floor Mops

Utilize a mop that has a washable, reusable mop head. They are made out of micro fiber or a material very similar to a Sham-wow. The following are the most well known:

Libman Microfiber Wonder Mop
O Ceder Microfiber Mop
Swobbit Aquazorber Mop (Sham-wow type mop)

So spend a little, invest a little 'craft' time and you can reap the money savings for a lifetime.

Prep On ;-}

TNT

Gift Ideas for Your Self-Reliant or Prepper Friends & Family

2011-11-30T14:53:00.000-08:00

The holidays are here, be it Christmas or Hanukah. If you are shopping now for the special people on your list you might be wondering what to get these friends and family members. If they are the self-reliant or prepper type you might be a bit stymied to boot!

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill

So here are some ideas to get you thinking.

“Stocking Stuffers” can be anything from a key-ring type multi-functional tool, first aid kit, compass or wind chill indicator to a tote bag that connects to your belt, purse or fits in your pocket so your friend can always have a bag or tool handy.

Go Bags, First Aid Kits, non-electric items or old fashioned toys and the like can be purchased from all kinds of places. If your friends sew, knit, crochet, can, reload, hunt, fish or whatever hobby they have, a Gift Certificate to their favorite store will be welcomed. Here are some places for the self-reliant/Prepper type that I feel you get the best bang for your dollar with:

Cumberland General Store (http://www.cumberlandgeneral.com/) is an American family owned and operated business with a commitment to providing you those hard-to-find back-to-basics items.
Lehman's, (http://www.lehmans.com/) The supplier of the Amish. Tons of old fashioned home, kitchen, garden, ranch and farming tools as well as toys and games. Oil lamps and parts, handmade pottery and copper cookie cutters; wood-burning cook stoves and retro refrigerators; reminisce with wooden and tin toys, cast iron cookware, hand tools and water pumps.
Campmor (http://www.campmor.com/) Not just camping but anything wilderness and outdoors. Tents, sleeping bags, boots, tools, food, supplies and they have the most comprehensive first aid kits.
The Sportsman’s Guide (http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/Main.aspx?) Name says it all plus ammo, kits, tools, supplies and more.
Cheaper Than Dirt (http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/) Ammunition, firearm parts & accessories, reloading equipment, kits, supplies and more.
Emergency Essentials (http://beprepared.com/) Supplies, kits, food storage, tools and more. (An LDS best pick)
Walton Feed (http://waltonfeed.com/) For open pollinated seeds and dehydrated foods (even gluten free).
SOL or Survive Outdoors Longer (http://surviveoutdoorslonger.com/) Has a full range of small to go-bag sized kits for emergencies and first aid and much much more …
American Red Cross Store (http://www.redcrossstore.org/) Has a complete line of non-electric emergency radios, first aid and go-bag kits of all sizes and shapes and more …

The Can Organizer (http://www.thecanorganizer.com/) These handy devils are first in first out rotating storage containers for canned goods. There are three sizes to choose from and range from $12.00 to $16.00 for a package of 4.

Does your Prepper friend or family member have some “books” or other loved documents in digital format? If yes, you can have a few of them printed and bound at Staples or Office Depot and places like that as a gift to your self-reliant relative.

Magazine Subscriptions are another great gift especially if that Prepper family member lives in a different state than you. My favorites are:

The Backwoodsman http://www.backwoodsmanmag.com/ Also see http://backwoodsmercantile.com/Shop_Backwoods/ for items like: Bags, Books, Camping, Cooking, DVDs, Knives, Lighting, Survival, Tools, Water.
Backwoods Home http://www.backwoodshome.com/ and Their Store http://www.backwoodshome.com/store/files/generalstore.html for all kinds of items.
Countryside http://www.countrysidemag.com/ and their book store http://www.countrysidemag.com/store/bookstore.html or library http://www.countrysidemag.com/library.html
Back Home http://www.backhomemagazine.com/ and their books, products and other items.
Pioneer Living http://www.pioneerliving.net/ and their online store http://www.pioneerliving.net/thegeneralstore.htm

If your friend has had a particular learning/training course in mind, but has stated that they don’t have the funds for the registration? Well then contact the sponsor of that course and ask if you can pay for it and offer it as a gift certificate or coupon of sorts. Your relative will love you for this!

Books are always a good choice, just be sure your family member or friend is a reader. If they are the self-reliant or Prepper type, they no doubt are.

Read on for a complete list see Gift Ideas at http://www.scribd.com/doc/74318223/Gift-Ideas-for-Your-Self-Reliant-or-Prepper-Friends-Family

Most people walk in and out of your life,
but FRIENDS leave footprints in your heart.
Anonymous

Ok I know I ’left some places out’. I didn’t mention Mother Earth News, Cabela’s, LL Bean, REI, Bass Pro Shop or the like because those places are expensive or just plain ‘yippie-yuppie’ and you can get just as good quality at the places I listed above (except for the boot that made LL Bean famous) for a whole lot less.

Nor did I mention any of the national department stores, as we all know what is available in our area with these, as well as what is available in any local independent store.

I also did not mention the magazine “The New Pioneer” presented by Country Almanac as it is an annual publication and I could not find a subscription source.

And I did not mention any of Ragnar Benson’s books – all of which are darn good. Some sources for his books can be found at: http://www.allbookstores.com/author/Ragnar_Benson.html and http://www.alibris.com/search/books/author/Benson,%20Ragnar or online in PDF format when you search for a particular title.

So use your imagination and listen closely when talking with your Prepper or self-reliant friends and family to get an idea of just what they are looking for. Then get them a gift they will cherish and use past the holiday season.

“The value of a man resides in what he gives
and not in what he is capable of receiving.”
Albert Einstein

TNT

Thanksgiving & Harvest Thanks & Blessings

2011-11-23T08:27:00.001-08:00

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Interested in some uncommon Thanksgiving history or some Fact or Fiction information? Then read on @ Thanksgiving & Harvest Thanks & Blessings

It is not happy people that are thankful.
It is thankful people that are happy.

Prep On ;-}

TNT

Say Hello to 2nd Amendment TV & Security During A Crisis

2011-11-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

There is a great site called 2nd Amendment TV that has loads of videos on various things, including Preparedness.

One series of videos that is very good is called Security During A Crisis. It has three parts and is worth every minute you listen and take notes.

Security During A Crisis Part 1 of 3 - How to protect yourself and others

Security During A Crisis Part 2 of 3 - Important factors to consider when trying to protect a fix location.

Security During A Crisis Part 3 of 3 - This is the actual plan on how to defend a fix location.

For additional Prepping and First Aid see:

What the Heck is a Prepper? (10:03)
How to Treat Gunshot & Knife Wounds (10:50)
Medical Kit pt.1 (9:46)
Medical Kit pt.2 (8:13)
Tools every prepper should have (2:38)
Top 5 Antibiotics for SHTF Storage (10:00)
A Complete Beginner's Guide to Handloading for your Rifle (45:03)
Does leaving your magazines loaded hurt them? (11:13)

Lots of great informational and instructional videos covering topics like:

Armed Citizens
Attacks on our rights
Basics
Citizen action
Handguns
High performance
History Kids and guns
Mechanics
Miscellaneous
Reviews
Rifles
Self-defense
Shotguns

And one of my favorites is the U.S. Survival Rifle AR-7 (7:52)

"No power on earth can subjugate you
when you are armed with the sword"
Mahatma Gandhi

Armistice - Veterans - Remembrance Day

2011-11-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

We Enjoy the Benefits of Freedom Because of the Warriors who Fought Before, and Those Fighting Today!!
We will continue to enjoy these Freedoms Because of the Warriors who Will Fight Tomorrow!!
Thank You!!
Thank the Creator for You!!
We Will Never Forget Your Sacrifices!!
May God Bless You and Yours Always!!

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as "the Great War." . Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938.

"[O]n November 11, 1918, there ended the most unnecessary, the most financially exhausting, and the most terribly fatal of all the wars that the world has ever known. Twenty millions of men and women, in that war, were killed outright, or died later from wounds. The Spanish influenza, admittedly caused by the War and nothing else, killed, in various lands, one hundred million persons more." Thomas Hall Shastid, 1927

Read on to find out when Armistice Day became Veterans Day, what other countries celebrate this day and how many veterans do we have in the U.S. today.

Then go out to THANK a veteran and soldier!

“Greater love than this no one has,
that he lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13

TNT

Just How Prepared Are You? - Tests & Quizzes

2011-11-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

Tests and Quizzes are rather unruly things, which rely heavily on how you interpret the question. That is why many tests ask the same questions worded differently to get a better idea of the understanding level of the ‘testee’.

With that principle in mind here are what I and my friends consider the best Preparedness or Readiness Quotient tests. They start out short and simple with Answer Keys that are rather precise and continue on to Self Assessment tests that let you decide just how ready you are based on the answers you provide.

Set aside a couple of ‘family nights’ and take a test or two each night. On your last night review how each of you did on the tests. Then plot out a preparedness plan, that works for you and yours, to address on the areas you find yourselves ‘short on’.

Remember that Disasters DO Happen! They come in all sizes, shapes and durations. They are not convenient and they will not wait until your family is all gathered at home ready and waiting.

When you take any of these quizzes imagine that a police officer knocks at your door. Some natural disaster is quickly approaching and you have 45 minutes MAX to evacuate...

How prepared are you for your Pets, Animals and Livestock?
How secure is your home for sheltering in place?
How Cyber Secure are you?
As a military family how prepared are you?
It’s cold and you have no fire. What would you do in order to keep warm?
A sever electrical storm occurs. Where is the safest place to be?
Do you know how to find the emergency broadcasting channel on the radio?
How will you and your family communicate in an emergency situation if you were separated?
If you need life-preserving medication, how long will your current supply last if it’s not immediately available?
Do you have a list of friends and family, boarding kennels or public evacuation shelters that are willing to take pets if you are evacuated?
Can the water valve be turned off by hand without the use of the tool? Do you have a tool if one is needed? What about natural gas?
Are all of your important documents in order and ready to go if you have to evacuate?
How many gallons of water per day does each person in your family need to survive?
If trapped in your car during a snowstorm, what's the best strategy?
In the event of an emergency, which agencies will accept your pets?
What kills more people on average than all other natural disasters combined?
Do all of your exterior doors have a good quality deadbolt lock with no less than a 1" throw?
Are all latch-strike plates on your exterior doors secured with at least 3" screws?
Does your overhead garage door, if equipped with an automatic opener, use a rolling code for signal transfer to defeat "code grabbers"?
Are all your bushes, trees and shrubs trimmed to eliminate areas for a person to hide near your doors and windows?
Do all your sliding glass doors have at least one of the following: track lock, insertion pin lock, hinged door bar, metal or wooden dowel in track?
Are all your windows secured with an auxiliary keyed, or hex screw window lock? Are the keys or hex keys readily available in an emergency? If you do not have keyed or hex screw locks, are your windows additionally secured by pins or nails?
Have your auxiliary window locks been installed to allow ventilation while maintaining security?
Do you backup computer files to an external hard drive or other media weekly?
Do you use wireless hot spots?
Is your primary Internet connection wireless?
What are currently Genetically Modified and commercialized foods?
Haven’t growers been grafting trees and hybridizing seeds for years? Isn’t this the same thing as genetic modification?
Have GMOs been proven to be safe for consumption?
How familiar are you with Alerts and warning systems in your community?
How often do you update your emergency supplies?
How often do you participate in some kind of fire or emergency drill?
Do you know what to do in the first 5 minutes of a crisis?
How much can you do on your own in the first 48, 72 or 120 hours after a major crisis?

What kind of Prepper are you? Well there are all kinds of course. Use the following to get the general idea of where you stand.

Unconscious: Insurance policies and first aid kits, other than that don’t think too much about it.

Novice: One or more of the following: at least a verbal family plan, go-bag, important documents book, 3 days of food/medical supplies, have researched what likely crises can occur where you live, are aware of other Preppers in your area, have smoke detectors but don’t know if the batteries are good.

Intermediate: The previous, plus one or more of the following: at least an outline of a written family plan, go-bag for each family member and pet, food/medical supplies for 7 days, emergency broadcast radio receiver, are familiar with the local emergency agencies and protocols, have emergency currency of at least several hundred to $1000 dollars, have a loose knit group of other Preppers, have smoke detectors and check the batteries twice a year.

Advanced: The previous, plus one or more of the following: a written family plan, go-bags for each family member and pet plus in each vehicle, food/medical supplies for at least a month up to 1yrs worth, an emergency band radio, some alternate power supply for cooking, lighting and heating, attend a class/seminar at least once a year on self-reliant skills at least once a year have a family disaster drill, are familiar with the local and state emergency agencies and protocols, have emergency currency of at least $1000 dollars in other than paper, have a group of other Preppers that share a secondary retreat and meet at least twice a year, have smoke and CO2 detectors and replace the batteries twice a year, have at least one fully charged fire extinguisher that is checked twice a year.

Expert: The previous, plus one or more of the following: written family plan is reviewed once a year, attend a class/seminar at least 2-3 times a year on a self-reliant skill, have family and or neighborhood crisis drills at least 2 to 3 times a year, have longer term food/medical supplies (2+yrs) and alternate heating, lighting and cooking supplies for up to 2 yrs., have 2-way emergency communications with independent power, are familiar with the local, state and national emergency agencies and protocols - plus have researched other global possibilities and monitor the status at least monthly, have emergency currency in other than paper of more than $1000 dollars, are a member of a group of other Preppers with a group secondary retreat and emergency protocols with activation practice at least twice a year, have working and checked smoke and CO2 detectors and several working and checked fire extinguishers and household fire drills at least twice a year.

To read the tests and review the answer keys see Just How Prepared Are You? - Tests & Quizzes

“A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them;
the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”
Proverbs 22:3

TNT

Fall Back (tonight) - Spring Forward

2011-11-05T16:46:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 2 a.m., Daylight Saving Time ends in the United States.

OR

Tonight we change our clocks

“Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life”
William Faulkner

Many fire departments encourage people to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they change their clocks because Daylight Saving Time provides a convenient reminder. "A working smoke detector more than doubles a person's chances of surviving a home fire," says William McNabb of the Troy Fire Department in Michigan.

More than 90 percent of homes in the United States have smoke detectors, but one-third are estimated to have dead or missing batteries.

For millennia, people have measured time based on the position of the sun; it was noon when the sun was highest in the sky. Sundials were used well into the Middle Ages, at which time mechanical clocks began to appear. Cities would set their town clock by measuring the position of the sun, but every city would be on a slightly different time.

The time indicated by the apparent sun on a sundial is called Apparent Solar Time, or true local time.

The time shown by the fictitious sun is called Mean Solar Time, or local mean time when measured in terms of any longitudinal meridian.

Although not punctual in the modern sense, ancient civilizations adjusted daily schedules to the sun more flexibly than modern DST does, often dividing daylight into twelve hours regardless of day length, so that each daylight hour was longer during summer. For example, Roman water clocks had different scales for different months of the year: at Rome's latitude the third hour from sunrise, hora tertia, started by modern standards at 09:02 solar time and lasted 44 minutes at the winter solstice, but at the summer solstice it started at 06:58 and lasted 75 minutes. After ancient times, equal-length civil hours eventually supplanted unequal, so civil time no longer varies by season. Unequal hours are still used in a few traditional settings, such as some Mount Athos monasteries and all Jewish ceremonies.

The main purpose of Daylight Saving Time (called "Summer Time" in many places in the world) is to make better use of daylight. We change our clocks during the summer months to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. Countries have different change dates.

The official spelling is Daylight Saving Time, not Daylight SavingS Time.

Who Does – Who Doesn’t

In the U.S., clocks change at 2:00 a.m. local time. In spring, clocks spring forward from 1:59 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.; in fall, clocks fall back from 1:59 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. In the EU, clocks change at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time. In spring, clocks spring forward from 12:59 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.; in fall, clocks fall back from 1:59 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time.

In the U.S., 2:00 a.m. was originally chosen as the changeover time because it was practical and minimized disruption. Most people were at home and this was the time when the fewest trains were running. It is late enough to minimally affect bars and restaurants, and it prevents the day from switching to yesterday, which would be confusing. It is early enough that the entire continental U.S. switches by daybreak, and the changeover occurs before most early shift workers and early churchgoers are affected.

However, many states restrict bars from serving alcohol between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. At 2:00 a.m. in the fall, however, the time switches back one hour. So, can bars serve alcohol for that additional hour? Some states claim that bars actually stop serving liquor at 1:59 a.m., so they have already stopped serving when the time reverts to Standard Time. Other states get solve the problem by saying that liquor can be served until "two hours after midnight." In practice, however, many establishments stay open an extra hour in the fall.

For the U.S. and its territories, Daylight Saving Time is NOT observed in Arizona and the Hopi Reservation, (which is entirely surrounded by the Navajo Nation), Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.

The Navajo Nation participates in the Daylight Saving Time policy, even in Arizona, due to its large size and location in three states.

Most of the world (except for countries around the Equator) have implemented DST at one point or another.

Today, approximately 70 countries utilize Daylight Saving Time in at least a portion of the country. Japan, India, and China are the only major industrialized countries that do not observe some form of daylight saving.

Equatorial and tropical countries (lower latitudes) generally do not observe Daylight Saving Time. Since the daylight hours are similar during every season, there is no advantage to moving clocks forward during the summer. China has had a single time zone since May 1, 1980, observing summer Daylight Saving Time from 1986 through 1991; they do not observe DST now.

Daylight saving time is now implemented in over seventy countries worldwide and affects over a billion people each year. Although many countries observe DST, the beginning and end dates are often different than the US. The European Union adopted the summer time period that was used in the United Kingdom for many years which begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.

In the European Union, Summer Time begins and ends at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time). It begins the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in October. In the EU, all time zones change at the same moment.

Read on and see the timeline of Standard & Daylight Saving Time from the 1700's to today. Find out some interesting facts about Daylight Saving Time here in the U.S., around the world and just why doesn't Arizona switch to Daylight Saving Time.

When told the reason for Daylight Saving time the old Indian said,
"Only a white man would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket and sew it to the bottom of a blanket
and have a longer blanket."
Author Unknown

TNT

Winter Preparedness & To-Do's

2011-10-27T11:29:00.001-07:00

What could possibly need to be done in the winter? Plenty, yet most of the actual preparedness stuff should have been completed with your Fall To-Do's. If you haven't completed those yet, time is running out, so to be prepared, you better get a doing!

This rather long "little ditty" covers:

Why prepare for winter storms with a map of Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters 1980-2009
Long range winter weather forcasts for the U.S. for 2011-2012 (and yes there is a type-o on these years in the document. I am human after all)
Some interesting "Did You Know?" facts
Terms for winter watches and warnings and what each means
Different kinds of snowfall and ice
Winter and cold weather risks, in general, to humans and animals and what you can do about them
Personal, animal, pet and livestock safety
How to dress for winter (no not fashion tips, survival tips)
Winter fire hazards, prevention and safety
General safety for snow, ice, heaters, fireplaces, space heaters and holiday and the like
What to do before, during and after a winter storm, including how prevent and handle frozen pipes
Winter vehicle preparation, safety, driving tips, including what to do if trapped in your vehicle during a blizard
A list of resources

Although this is a rather long read, it is full of all my personal experience from living in "big snow" country (both urban and rural) as well as information from the pros on the various subjects. Between this article and the Fall To-Do's, there should be nothing you are not prepared for with the up coming winter season.

Winter Preparedness & To Do’s

and don't forget your Fall To Do’s - Preparing for Winter

Don’t Live Paranoid
Live Prepared!

TNT

Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) & Emergency Alert System (EAS)

2011-10-22T15:24:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me accepts that I do not trust ANY government, yet alone my own, any farther than I can spit. Yet these people also know that I despise sensationalism and lying by omission. So even when I don’t like someone or something, I want the whole truth and nothing but the truth out there. With that said, please read on and arm yourselves with the power of knowledge.

Growing up in the sixties and seventies, I remember radio and TV airplay being interrupted by "tests" run by the Emergency Broadcast System: "This is a test..." After reading the article “Did You Know Feds Will Temporarily Cut Off All TV and Radio Broadcasts on Nov. 9?”, it made me realize that I haven't heard these tests for quite some time and that there was a lot of information missing in this article which got me thinking and researching what was missing and WHY hadn’t I heard these broadcasts in awhile?

The Emergency Broadcast System was initiated in 1963 during the Kennedy Administration, to allow the president to address the entire nation in an emergency. The EBS was later further expanded through an interagency effort with the FCC, FEMA and the National Weather Service (NWS), to permit the system to be used for state and local emergencies.

Although the EBS system was established for national messages, many broadcasters and local officials recognized that the system could be used to notify listeners about local emergency situations. As of the beginning of 1996 the FCC had received 20,341 reported activations of EBS (since 1976). Approximately 85% of these activations were for weather related emergencies. The number of activations was most assuredly higher as stations were not required to report their usage of the system.

The system was never used for a nuclear emergency, though it was activated more than 20,000 times between 1976 and 1996 to broadcast civil emergency messages and warnings of severe weather hazards.

In 1996 a law was passed to replace the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) with the new fangled digital Emergency Alert System and EBS was officially retired in January 1998 (isn't there always an upgrade?). This resulted in a temporary (of several years) suspension of the mandatory tests.

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national warning system in the United States put into place in 1996-98, superseding the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) and the CONELRAD System.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designed the Emergency Alert System (EAS) so officials can (supposedly) quickly send out important emergency information targeted to a specific area.

This new system provides access to broadcast stations, cable systems and participating satellite programmers for the transmission of emergency messages (and less obtrusive weekly tests). The EAS uses digital codes developed by the National Weather Service (NWS). NWS offices can originate coded messages that are area specific and will only activate EAS decoders and send emergency warnings to people in the affected geographic area.

EAS has become part of IPAWS - the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, a program of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). EAS is jointly coordinated by FEMA, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the National Weather Service (NWS). EAS equipment must be FCC certified for use.

In 2004, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on whether EAS in its present form is the most effective mechanism for warning the American public of an emergency and if not, on how EAS can be improved, such as mandatory text messages to cell phones, regardless of subscription. As noted above, rules implemented by the FCC on July 12, 2007 provisionally endorse replacing the SAME protocol with CAP and allow governors to compel universal activation of the system within their own states.

Executive Order 13407 of June 26, 2006 Public Alert and Warning System “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended (6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.)” (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Executive_Order_13407) and established, as policy, the requirement for the United States to have an effective, reliable, integrated, flexible, and comprehensive system to alert and warn the American people.

FEMA is designated, within the Department of Homeland Security, to implement the policy of the United States for a public alert and warning system as outlined in Executive Order 13407 and has established a program office to implement IPAWS. FEMA and its federal partners, the Federal Communications Commission, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service and the DHS Science and Technology Directorate are working together to transform the national alert and warning system to enable rapid dissemination of authenticated alert information over as many communications channels as possible.

Once the nations radio and cable broadcasts went digital (satellite was already digital) in November of 2010, the FCC officially announced plans and procedures for national EAS tests On February 3, 2011, which will involve all television and radio stations connected to the EAS system, as well as all cable and satellite services in the United States. The national test will transmit and relay an EAS test message from the White House. The date for the first national EAS test is November 9, 2011.

So do our laws, bills and executive orders allow the U.S. government to:

Round up civilians and put them camps? – Yes. Has any past or current administration taken advantage of these loopholes to do so – NO.
Take control of the U.S. internet – Yes. Any past or current administration attempt to do so – NO.
Take control of U.S. broadcasting services – Yes. Any past or current administration attempt to do so – NO.
Take our property, homes and land – Yes. Any past or current administration attempt to do so – YES and they have, just NOT on a large nationwide scale.
Use multi-national cooperative military to “secure” the U.S. – Yes. Any past or current administration actually do so – Not unless you count NATO and other similar alliances and treaties.
Practice any of these “activities” – Yes and just about every past administration has done so, including the current.

So B.S. aside: No administration has taken wrongful advantage of the loopholes in our laws, executive orders or bills to actually do this and despite how much I detest our current government, there is no strong indication that it is planning to do wrong now. Personally I don’t think anyone populating our government (at any level) today, is stupid enough nor has the guts to start another American Revolution. They are not strong enough YET and they know it, so they won’t risk losing what power and control they already have.

Bottom line: We can run stupid and scared
or we can arm ourselves with knowledge
to run prepared.

Good or Bad – Famous or Infamous - It's Halloween!

2011-10-17T09:34:00.001-07:00

Halloween, celebrated on October 31, is a mix of ancient practices, rituals, festivals and European folk traditions that over time have blended together to create the holiday we know today.

Major contributors to today's Halloween, are:

Celtic holiday of Samhain
Catholic Hallowmas period of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day
Roman festival of Feralia
Spain’s El Dia De Los Muertos 3 day celebration October 31-November 2. Also celebrated in Latin America and Mexico
England's Guy Fawkes Day

Halloween straddles the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death and is filled with mystery and magic; is it any wonder that it is a time of celebration and superstition?

Here are some great Halloween Fire & Safety Tips from the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) and the Red Cross:

When choosing a costume, stay away from billowing or long trailing fabric. If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so they can see out. Wigs, capes and costumes are flammable attire, so avoid open flames to prevent a fire!
From the bravest of superheroes to the noblest of knights, everyone should remember to bring their flashlights! Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume.
Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper are highly flammable. Keep these and other decorations well away from all open flames and heat sources, including light bulbs, and heaters.
It is safest to use a flashlight or battery-operated candle in a jack-o-lantern. If you use a real candle, use extreme caution. Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit. When lighting candles inside jack-o-lanterns, use long, fireplace style matches or a utility lighter. Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far enough out of way of trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards.
Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
Tell children to stay away from open flames. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. Have them practice, stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.
Use flashlights as alternatives to candles or torch lights when decorating walkways and yards. They are much safer for trick-or treaters, whose costumes may brush against the lighting.
If your children are going to Halloween parties at others’ homes, have them look for ways out of the home and plan how they would get out in an emergency.
Map out the route that you plan to roam, so adults are assured you will find your way home!
If you visit a house where a stranger resides, accept treats at the door and, please, don’t go inside.
When you get ready to put on your disguise, use face paint instead of masks, which may cover your eyes.
Always remember, before you embark, to wear light-colored clothing to be seen in the dark! And remember to use reflective tape, even on bikes, and brooms and the edges of your cape!
Whether you walk, slither or sneak, do it on the sidewalks and not in the street.
As you roam through the neighborhood collecting your treats, please look both ways before crossing the street! (And speaking of streets, the corners are the place for trick or treaters to cross no mat¬ter their pace.)
You may fly on a broom or a space ship from Mars, but please be on the lookout for drivers in cars! Between parked cars is no place to hide, be sure that you’re seen whether you’re a clown or a bride.
Monsters and zombies should stay off the lawn and only visit homes with their porch lights turned on!
You may be dressed as a werewolf, a cat or a frog, but be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.
Have a grown-up inspect your candy when you’re done trick-or-treating to remove open packages and choking hazards before eating.

I personally am going to add:

ALL Adults should drive with caution on Halloween as many costumes are “dark” and hard to see. With the advent of electric cars, many “trick or treaters” will NOT hear these new fangled vehicles approach and may step out in front of them. This also means to leave your “texting and driving” until you return home or pull to side of the road to perform your functions.

Be Safe, Be Smart while enjoying the festivities in the dark!

Read on to discover the history behind jack-o-lanturns, costumes, candied apples, haunted houses, fright nights and more.

PS - On Sunday, November 6 at 2 a.m., Daylight Saving Time ends in the United States. It used to end around the last Saturday night/Sunday morning before Halloween, which was a boon for trick-or-treaters. However, with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, it was extended daylight-saving time (starting in 2007), from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. (Previously it was from April to October.)

Live On to Prep Another Day ;-}

TNT

Native American Preparedness

2011-10-10T16:04:00.001-07:00

On September 19, 2011 FEMA officially launched is Ready Indian Country Preparedness Campaign. I wonder what took them so long?

FEMA Ready Indian Country
FEMA Tribal Policy

Now I personally don’t trust ANY government any farther than I can spit – however there is some good information on the Ready.Gov web site to get people of all kinds going on being prepared. Although the Red Cross with its more detailed and specific information, is my top pick for government sanctioned type sites.

Although the government mostly replicated the text and only changed the images to various downloadable PDF’s from their Ready Indian Country site, the information is still good and worth it in my book. The government has attempted to ‘customize’ its PDF’s to regions, although for some reason they completely ignored the natives of Hawaii.

To native and other peoples alike, understand that the U.S. government still has not figured out that spiritual beliefs play an important role in preparedness (and everyday life) – so don’t be disappointed when you can’t find any of that kind of information in their documents.

For those of you that are interested, here are some links:

Brochure for Tribal Leaders

Readiness Planning

The FEMA Tribal Regions

Southwest Region
Southwest Individual/Family Brochure
Southwest Poster

Alaska Region
Alaska Individual/Family Brochure
Alaska Poster

Northwest Region
Northwest Individual/Family Brochure
Northwest Poster

Northern Plains Region
Northern Plains Individual/Family Brochure
Northern Plains Poster

Southern Plains Region
Southern Plains Individual/Family Brochure
Southern Plains Poster
Northeast Region
Northeast Individual/Family Brochure
Northeast Poster

Southeast Region
Southeast Individual/Family Brochure
Southeast Poster

Some other sites of interest are:

Native American Congress of American Indians Dept. of Homeland Security-emergency
State and Urban Area Homeland Security Strategy: Guidance on Aligning Strategies with the Emergency Preparedness Goal (2005/07/22)
Tribal Participation in the State and Urban Area Homeland Security Strategy

National Native American EMS Association

Although this is a California ‘institution’, they have some good information and may be able to offer “how-to’s” for getting something like this going in your area.
Native American Alliance for Emergency Preparedness-NAAEP-Indian Health Clinics Terrorism and Emergency Preparedness

TNT

PS – If anyone has links to some good Native American Preparedness sites let me know and I will add them to my blog ;-}

Oh No! The Power is Out – Now What?

2011-10-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

There are really only three reasons a “residential” person would want to generate power:

They live away from the electric grid.
They wish to be electricity independent and this includes lowering or eliminating their electric utility bill.
The gridded power has gone out for one reason or another.

Off-the-grid enthusiasts look at generating their own everyday power needs that can be anything from complete electrical self-reliance to just generating and storing enough electricity for a few hours and they deal with energy storage too. Off-Griders generally look at solar, wind, hydro and geothermal for energy generation. This article is NOT about energy independence – It is about Emergency Energy.

The greater majority of us fall into the power failure category, especially since electricity has become a necessary convenience to a large portion of the population. To many of us any power outage longer than a couple of hours is much more than just an inconvenience, it feels threatening too!

There are a good number of things that can cause a power failure from an accident, brownouts, high usage rolling blackouts and severe weather, to some kind of electromagnetic disaster.

These kinds of incidents have us thinking about alternatives to gridded power and for most urbanites that means some kind of Home Emergency Electrical Generator.

Emergency Power is typically for 3-7 days. Some industries have emergency back-up power for up to 10 days. Very few, if any look beyond that.

Understand that "whole house" emergency generator power is NOT the same as full scale off-the-grid. You still have to unplug and turn off non-essential appliances and devices. If you are truly looking for a full-house-no-change-in-personal-electrical-usage system then you need to look at Alternative and Off-grid systems, even if you only plan to use it in emergencies.

There are many kinds of emergency electrical generators for home or residential use from portable to stationary, from back-up power for the entire house, to just minimal back-up power for a few key appliances and devices. Each generator type has its own pros’ and cons’ and uses different types of fuel to generate electricity.

Options and accessories are many. Keep in mind just what kind of electrical outage you are preparing for. If you are looking at some kind of wide spread CME or EMP, then the more digital your generator and accessories are, the more you will need a Faraday Cage for each piece to guarantee the generator and its devices are operational. If you are just worried about several days of rolling outages, then how much you need to power while the grid is down will be one of the most important points you are looking for.

Key decision makers for us are usually the overall cost, followed by ease of use and maintenance.

Choosing a generator can be tricky because every home is different. Something that you may have had in your previous home may not work in the home that you are in at the moment.

Most importantly these generators are NOT something you can purchase, store and only worry about when the power goes out. They need regular maintenance no matter if they have been in use or not. The fuels utilized have various shelf-lives and risk factors too.

Bottom Line: Every power generator is NOT ideal in every situation!

Read more about some essential things to consider to ensure you get the right generator for your needs.

"Keep On Preppin"

TNT

Fall To Do’s - Preparing for Winter

2011-09-21T15:30:00.001-07:00

The days are shorter and the nights are cooler, the main harvest has been preserved and stored. Yes fall is here and no matter where you live, before winter hits, there’s things that need a doin!

This 'little ditty' has checklists to help the winter and holiday season be more of a pleasure and less of a hassle. Plus many of the tips can save you bucks too! It is organized for:

Patio, Yard & Garden
The House Itself
The Garage
Inside the House
Farm or Ranch Basics
For Your Vehicle, including the Vehicle Emergency Kit and Vehicle Go-Bag.

Read or download the To Do List @ Fall To Do’s - Preparing Winter

Today is the Tomorrow that you worried about Yesterday

TNT

What Does A WWII Heroine & 9-11 Have In Common?

2011-09-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

That despite our ‘modern civilization’ we humans are still barbaric in our beliefs that ANY human has been created from a ‘better’ mold than another; that hatred kills.

Because of this I believe it is time we reflect again; that we search our souls and pray or meditate for guidance to truly become civilized and wise.

To the Creator, the Great One who created each of us,
Open our minds and soften our hearts.
Please guide us through the rest of our human existence in this material world.
Empower us to see the human, not the enemy.
Grant us the ability to love without reason, and see without prejudice; noticing instead all that we have in common.
Please guide us to enlightenment from the chains of this earthly illusion.
Please remove the veil of separateness and lift the fear of (and desire for) judgment and vengeance from us all.

Read the history at http://www.scribd.com/doc/64299196/What-Does-a-WWII-Heroine-9-11-Have-in-Common

TNT

Labor Day - It Takes All Kinds to Make the World Go Round

2011-09-05T11:13:00.001-07:00

Labor Day is a special day. Even though it is not a true spiritual celebration, many faiths happily celebrate it because it recognizes the value of an activity essential for human beings: work.

Labor Day's cultural and spiritual revolution was founded in a simple motto: “ora et labora,” pray and work.

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, evolved from Matthew Maguire, a machinist from Paterson, N. J., who wanted to recognize those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.” and ultimately a formal creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Anyway, the first Labor Day holiday in the U.S. was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held it second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

For everyone who works to live, or lives to work, today is the day we honor the working man and working woman. Some of us "work," yet receive no paycheck! Whatever your hourly wage or annual salary, whatever work you do or service you provide, may you be blessed by wealth in whatever currency in which you trade, and may you prosper at least as much as your wildest dreams, your hearts' desires. I could find no "special" prayer in my soul for today so here are some of my favorites that move the spirits and direct good will to all of you:

Time for rest; time for play We celebrate on Labor Day.

Throughout the year we give our best We each deserve a little rest.

The days and weeks and years march on Work well done an unspoken song.

We thank you Lord for giving life Even when work seems more like strife.

In work we have a chance to show Our talents perhaps, but surely to grow.

Interrelating and doing our jobs Helps us remember we’re an important cog.

On the wheel of life we turn and go on Fulfilled when we say
"A good job we've done."

May The Creator, The Fates, The Force be with you and yours always ;-}

TNT

PS - Read more on the history and evolution of Labor Day @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/64004132/Labor-Day-It-Takes-All-Kinds-to-Make-the-World-Go-Round

Can a Preparedness Plan Be Wrong?

2011-09-04T09:15:00.001-07:00

When you think about it, there are only a few ways any Preparedness Plan or method can be wrong.

The first way is kinda obvious.

You build a house straddling the San Andres Fault and do no more than follow building codes for earthquake preparedness or you build a house on an offshore ‘key’ and don’t do anything for hurricane preparedness.

Yes this is very simplified and obvious stuff and it is downright the wrong way to prepare!

“Dumb is being unable to learn.
Ignorance is not ever having had the opportunity to learn.
Stupid is having had the opportunity to learn and not taking advantage to do so.
Being Alive is learning something new every day."
Anonymous

The second is not so obvious because you can’t really know if it is right or wrong for you until a crisis actually hits. It is HOW you react to the crisis - that will show you if your plan was right or wrong.

You are not as committed to your preparedness plan as you are your S & G’s (Sh_ts & Grins).
You “play” at being prepared; you stock pile but not much else.
Then when a crisis hits you realize that you don’t know how to do something that will reduce or eliminate a few trials and tribulations.
You see neighbors or friends are doing better so you go over and demand they help you.
You rant, rave and blame other things and people for why you do not have some skill to reduce or eliminate your trials and tribulations - because you were too busy; not enough money or time; learning those skills took too much effort; ‘such’n’such’ agency isn’t doing their job, etc. – so people must help you now.

This is a wrong way to plan and there are only two ways to make it right:

Accept that you did not have a good plan or work at it, and suck it up to make it through the additional trials and tribulations of the crisis. Oh, you can ask that neighbor or friend for help but you won’t fly off the handle if they cannot be of assistance to you right then and there.
Play this “What If” scenario out now – before a crisis – and change your plans accordingly. Make preparedness one of your top 12 priorities in life.

If you are doing your plan “right” you will accept the burdens of additional trials and tribulations in the current crisis. You will not point fingers or blame others; you will not demand someone help you right now. Rather, you would accept the responsibility of the outcome of your preparedness planning. And I’m willing to bet my last dollar that once the crisis is over – preparedness will be a higher priority in your life.

“10% of life is made up of what happens to you.
90% of life is decided by how you react."
Stephen R. Covey
(Stephen Richards Covey, born 1932, American author, professional speaker, professor, consultant, management-expert.)

Most of us humans will fail to achieve knowledge and or skills we feel we may need to survive a crisis because we have NOT placed preparedness as one of the top 12 priorities in our lives.

On top of this when we have not been honest with ourselves that preparedness is not one of our top 12 priorities in life, we often come up with all kinds of rationalizations (excuses) as to why we can’t attend this or that lesson or class on a skill we have identified we lack.

"The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want now."
Zig Ziglar
(Hilary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar, born 1926, American author, salesman, and motivational speaker.)

We make these rationalizations because when we are not honest with ourselves, we can’t be honest with others – so any excuse will do.

Yet when this type of individual is confronted with additional trials and tribulations in a SHTF world (because they have not obtained this skill) they may ask for assistance to learn this skill and if refused, they usually will NOT be demanding or a danger to others around them.

Instead as the crisis unfolds their minds are mature enough, their feet planted in reality enough; to realize that they made a poor choice in not learning this skill in the past – they accept responsibility for this and make do.

"Perhaps the very best question that you can memorize and repeat, over and over, is, "what is the most valuable use of my time right now?"
Brian Tracy
(born 1944, Canadian self-help author and speaker on leadership, sales, managerial effectiveness, and business strategy.)

The most common rationalizations one is likely to hear for not attending a class on some skill needed to survive a crisis are:

My life is too busy … I just don’t have the time …
It’s too expensive to drive across or into town and then pay for the class too …
My neighborhood, community or situation is different so it is too hard to take a class in town…
These instructors should teach in my neighborhood if this is such an important skill …
I have my emergency supplies and gadgets so I am already prepared and don’t need any classes on this because that blah-blah agency will help me if I need more …

"Knowledge is that which, next to virtue,
truly raises one person above another."
Joseph Addison
(1672-1719, English essayist, poet, playwright and politician.)

The most common rationalizations one is likely to hear for not preparing at all are:

That will never happen here, or to me …
People are too inventive or ingenious to let to that happen …
That is just being a doomsayer…
That is just a gimmick to get me to buy this-or-that or a scare tactic to get me to do this-or-that …
That is what such-n-such entity is for…
You can’t prepare for everything that is likely to happen so why prepare much more than I am or at all …

"Life doesn't happen TO you; it happens FOR you."
Byron Katie
(Byron Kathleen Mitchell (née Reid), born 1942, American Author, speaker.)

I know “Preppers” from all walks of life.

One friend has 5 children, the oldest just started college. They live in a middle class neighborhood. Yet despite working and running from one side of town to the other for their children’s sporting events they manage to attend classes to learn at least one new skill a year.

About 6 years ago a friend of mine in Tennessee moved out of the city to a small rural town about 45 miles away to care for his father, who is now in late stage Alzheimer’s. He only makes about $87,000 a year and he finds time to go into the city at least once a year for a class to learn a new skill he feels he needs to survive the crises on his list.

Another friend lives here in town, drives, needs a walker to get around and lives on a fixed income. Attends at least one class a year here in town and even helps “sponsor” a class now and then.

One friend lives in Belen (south of town), does not drive; is in a wheel chair and lives on a fixed income. He manages to attend a class or two a year here in town.

Another friend lives here in town, is on a fixed income, does not drive and is in a wheelchair. She and her family attend at least a class or two a year here in town.

One lives in Morority (east of town), is in a wheelchair, does not drive and lives on a fixed income. She manages to get into town for a class a couple of times a year.

One lives in Edgewood (east of town) is on crutches (will probably be in a wheelchair in the next 5 years), does not drive and lives on a fixed income. This single mom not only manages a class in town a few times a year, she is leading her church group too.

When I was in Jr. High back east we lived across the street from a Catholic Church and School. The family on our right had 11 children; the family on our left had 9. Despite our middle-class lives and the costs of sending their children to parochial school, these two families were what we now call Preppers and they found time and monies to attend several classes a year in downtown Philly to learn skills they felt they would need to survive some crisis with the least trials and tribulations.

Four of these friends are married and three have more than one child at home under the age of 18.

All of these “mobility” and “financially” challenged people find the time, money and make the effort to attend 1 or more glasses in town each year.

"Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves."
Edwin Teale
(1899-1980 American naturalist, photographer, and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer)

When I ask them if they feel their situations and limited incomes would warrant an instructor to teach these classes closer to them, they all replied about the same:

Why? My being disabled does not warrant that kind of special consideration.
Most of these teachers are not getting paid to teach these classes and are taking time away from their families and busy lives to teach, in the cheapest venue around, so I might as well go where they will get more students per class, so their sacrifices to teach are worth their effort.

ALL of these friends obviously have preparedness as one of the top 12 priorities in their lives.

"When life takes the wind out of your sails,
it is to test you at the oars.”
Robert Brault
(American free-lance writer for over 40 years)

These friends are my inspiration, so when I catch myself using some kind of rationalization, I reflect on these friends of mine …

Then I find the money, make the time and effort to attend a class on a skill I feel I need to survive the crises on my list. If they can do it, I know dam well I can do it too!

To these friends: I Thank You one and all for showing me that life is worth living and that anything I so desire is just an action or two away ;-}

Bottom line: The only way a preparedness plan, methodology or process is wrong is if you are:

Stupid
Live in fantasyland
Blame others for your situation, rather than yourself for that which you did not take upon yourself to do
Demand or taking from someone else, that which you did not demand of yourself to obtain

Otherwise your preparedness plan is not wrong; it just may not be perfect.

So to stay on track, be honest with yourself and look around you. Take stock in others whose lives have more “built in” excuses to not have the time or money to take a class in a skill, yet they do anyway and find this tenacity in yourself to do the same.

“Determination and perseverance move the world;
thinking that others will do it for you is a sure way to fail.”
Marva Collins
(1936-present American Educator)

TNT

Upcoming Events: Self-Reliance/Preparedness Fairs & Appleseed Shoots

2011-08-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

What is the Appleseed Project and Shoot?

This is a project sponsored by the Revolutionary War Veterans Association (RWVA) to pass on the skills and history of our country’s first Riflemen.

On the home page of their website (http://appleseedinfo.org/) it states:

“Project Appleseed is an activity of The Revolutionary War Veterans Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to teaching every American our shared heritage and history as well as traditional rifle marksmanship skills. Our volunteer instructors travel across the country teaching those who attend about the difficult choices, the heroic actions, and the sacrifices that the Founders made on behalf of modern Americans, all of whom are their “progeny.””

At each event you will not only learn marksmanship skills that are great for the novice or the experienced shooter, you will also learn about the skills, tenacity, fortitude and choices made by participants in the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19th, 1775.

I thoroughly enjoyed the local event this past weekend in my area, as well as sharpened my skills and highly recommend this for any self-reliance, preparedness or survival seeker. I don’t care if you are a professional sharp shooter; I bet you can learn something new at one of these events.

All Appleseed events are 2 (two) days and are free for Active Military, Reserve, National Guard, and Peace Officers.

Women $10.00 and youths under 21 are $5.00

Both Days are $70.00, one day is $45.00 plus any requested Range Fees from the shooting facility.

Although walk-ons are welcome, be sure to pre-register as the Appleseed Project sponsors and RWVA will use the pre-registration count to determine how many “crew members” will be on hand for instruction. You can register online or by mail (USPS).

If you live in New Mexico here is a list of upcoming shoots:

Edgewood, NM - Sep 10-11
Raton, NM - Sep 17-18
Rio Rancho, NM - Sep 17-18

Albuquerque, NM - Oct 15-16
Roswell, NM - Oct 15-16

Rio Rancho, NM - Dec 10-11

To find out when an event is in your area go to: http://appleseedinfo.org/search-states.html and then select your state. Don’t forget to look at the requirements and suggestions on what to bring besides your desire to learn (From the Home page select Boot Camps, What to Bring).

Since September is National Preparedness Month remember to check for local events in your newspapers and the like. Many Boy Scout Troupes sponsor neighborhood Preparedness fairs.

Here are a few internet/nationally advertized upcoming Expos & Fairs:

The National Self Reliance Organization (http://www.thensro.com/) has two upcoming Self-Reliance Expos (http://www.selfrelianceexpo.com/):

September 16-17, 2011
National Western Complex
4655 Humboldt St.
Denver, CO 80216
Times: Friday Sept 16 : 10AM-8PM and Saturday Sept 17 : 9AM-6PM

October 7-8, 2011
South Towne Expo Center
9575 South State St.
Sandy, UT 84070 (Salt Lake City)

Both events cost: $9 at the door; $2 discount for buying online; Kids 12 and under are free; $2 discount for seniors.

September 24, 2011 9AM LDS Church (http://www.lds.org/) is sponsoring a Preparedness Fair (http://www.zvents.com/z/broomfield-co/preparedness-fair--events--201109445)

LDS Church
13370 N. Lowell Blvd.
Broomfield, CO

Dare to Prepare

TNT

Time – Tracking It & Catching It

2011-08-26T10:31:00.001-07:00

"The bad news is time flies.
The good news is you're the pilot."
Michael Altshuler
(American Motivational Speaker)

We all seem to feel that we do not have enough time to get done what needs to be done and we all know that preparedness takes time. Yet studies show that most us waste quite a bit of time everyday and don’t even know it.

When people say that they don’t have enough time, it says more about how they spend their time than the actual quantity. After all, no one really has more time, one day is 24 hours for all of us, we just spend that 24 hours in different ways.

Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki, MLK, Gandhi, JFK and Warren Buffet all have just 24 hours a day, not a second more and look what they accomplished. I can hear the collective: “But… they have other people helping them with a lot of their work.” That is true NOW - NOT when they first started. Let’s face it - everyone has to start somewhere.

"Ordinary people think merely of spending time.
Great people think of using it."
Anonymous

When people feel like their time is being spent on very valuable things, they may still run out of time, but there is a completely different level of fulfillment involved.

In the September/October 2005 issue of The Futurist examined Americans’ use of time. According to the article, the common perception that there just isn’t enough time isn’t supported by the stats from a national study using time-diaries. Basically, the findings show that Americans average 35 hours per week of work time and 35 hours per week of free time. This is much more time than what most Americans perceive.

“One reasons for this is that there are many businesses who make money if you don’t feel like you have enough time. Everything from self-help books to prepared foods to services depend on people who feel like they are too busy.

So where does all the free time go? According to the article, over half of it is spent watching television. (However, the article notes that time spent watching television isn’t any higher than it was in 1990.)”

"Time sneaks up on you like a windshield on a bug."
John Lithgow
(born 1945, American actor, musician, poet and author.)

The trick to having enough time is making sure that it is spent on things that you feel are important. This means setting priorities and deciding what is actually valuable to you ahead of time.

Although you won’t actually end up with more time, by spending your busy and free time on things that you feel are truly valuable you can increase your satisfaction with how your time is spent.

"The greatest amount of wasted time
is the time not getting started."
Dawson Trotman
(1906–1956, evangelist, crusader and founder of The Navigators.)

Here are some time saving tips from the pros:

Track your time. Don’t think you waste your time? Track it for a week. If you really want to get depressed, have a friend with a child track his/her time and compare the results. This helps you figure out how you’re spending your time and if you’re doing what you want to do be doing. Track your time for a week using various categories, such as sleep, work, food, household tasks, family time and exercise.

Make a 'To Do' List/Schedule. The simple act of writing things down on paper has the psychological benefit of making them seem less immense and more accomplishable.

Plan and Set Deadlines. Set targets to complete a small number of tasks each month. One of the biggest blockers of progress is being overwhelmed by trying to complete too many tasks at once. Multi-tasking is just a modern day euphemism for being disorganised. Better to concentrate on one task at a time and get it done properly, starting with the highest priority item and working down your list in that order.

Prioritize your daily actions, errands and tasks on a 'To Do' list. If you don’t put your priorities first, it won’t matter how fast you work or do things, you may never get to what is important. If you think something is going to take two weeks, start on it a week before it’s due. Force yourself to work more efficient by eliminating dead time.

Know Your Obligations. It is common to over commit your time if you are not aware of all your obligations. You need to make a commitment list. List out and budget all of your commitments from work, life, and community. Only then can you know your remaining time balance.

Break larger actions/tasks into smaller ones. It is easy to be over-awed by the size of some tasks and often in our minds molehills can quickly turn themselves into mountains. The bigger the task becomes, the less likely we are to start it.

Don't Try to Do Everything Yourself. Ignore, minimize or outsource everything else. At a certain point, the only way to get more done is to have someone help. The biggest show stoppers here are some people have trouble letting others help because they feel that no one can do it as well as they can or we flat out don’t think of it. What activities would you rather expel from your schedule? I bet housework, laundry and grocery shopping are on that list. We rarely think to outsource laundry or housework. We think it’s too pricey or we look down on ourselves for not being able to keep up with our chores. Yet, we think nothing of outsourcing our childcare. For many people, outsourcing house stuff means more time with kids and more time spent doing things they love.

Spend your spare minutes doing joyful activities - Have this time set aside on your 'To Do' list. Make a list of meaningful activities that take 30 minutes or less. Fill your day with more 'nice' things to do. Schedule an hour for a soak in the tub or at the gym. Plan that 30 minute break to read another chapter in your favorite book. Behaviorists say that the more you do the more productive you will be, but what’s less obvious is the more you do the more efficient you will be. When you have a hundred things happening at once you can get in the zone and get more done more quickly.

Say NO. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to take on burdens that do not belong to them. When you don’t say no, you find yourself doing other people’s work. This happens both in the workplace and in day-to-day life. Ever find yourself doing something you didn't want to do and felt "suckered" into; or doing someone else’s job - Simply because you didn't say NO?

Reduce your 'Life Frictions'. Life Friction is self-inflicted time management. In other words, you create your own crises by your own actions and disorganization. Life friction means extra re-work, increased stress, and wasted time. Ever get back from running errands and realize you have to go back out because you forgot something?

Reduce Lolly-gagging and wasted time. You don’t need to spend every second of the day under a stopwatch, but be aware of when you waste time whether it is gossiping, surfing the Internet, or recapping the weekend for the third time. Know anyone who takes two hours after getting up to be ready to meet the day or who arrives late to work and then spends the next hour and 15 minutes getting ready to start working?

Finish What You Start. When you don’t finish tasks, you are only creating more work for yourself. Tasks undone actually create more work for you. They take more time to pick back up when you return to them. They create unnecessary complications when you leave them to the last minute.

Just Do It. If you feel that your personal time/task management process is growing into an uncontrollable monster or that you are spending too long trying to do the item perfectly, just remember the concept of Just Do it – JDI. The concept is simple and straightforward – stop procrastinating and just get the job done.

Revisit your schedule regularly. Check in with yourself weekly to see if your schedule reflects what you want it to. Now understand that it’s not easy making changes and of course tons of interruptions will pop up from time to time. However, if you stick with it and try your best to avoid interruptions and distractions, it’ll get easier.

"A year from now you will wish you had started today."
Karen Lamb
(American author)

To assist you into determining just where you can “catch time”, download this article (@ http://www.scribd.com/doc/62443848/Time-%E2%80%93-Tracking-It-Making-It) and print the two logs on the end of it. These logs will help you with the following exercises:

"The surest way to be late is to have plenty of time."
Leo Kennedy
(1907–2000 a Canadian poet and critic in social criticism)

Tracking Activities-Actions-Tasks: For one week track all your start and stop times for each activity and or task you do each day from sun up to sun down.

Tracking Movements: The next week track your “movements”. Every time you leave a room in your house or leave home - list from where to where, when and why, in your log.

At the end of these two weeks go back and look at your logs. Make a note of the routine tasks, like sleeping, getting up and getting dressed, going to the grocery store, making meals, etc. Make a note of how many times you are traveling from one side of the house to the other or zigzagging all over town when you are running errands.

Do you set an alarm clock to wake you up?
Do you set out what you are going to wear the next day? Is it handy to where you do your daily 3-S’s (sh_t, shower, shave)?
Do you have a ‘To Do List’ for each day, ready the night before? Do you set time frames for this list?
Do you plan your errands in advance so that you are traveling the shortest distance throughout the day?

"You will never 'find' time for anything.
If you want time, you must make it"
Charles Buxton
(1823–1871, English brewer, philanthropist, writer and Member of Parliament.)

When you take control and plan out these activities and tasks, that will help you “catch time”.

"A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last.
Both do the same thing; only at different times."
Baltasar Gracián y Morales, SJ
(1601–1658, was a Catholic Priest, Spanish Jesuit, author and baroque prose writer.)

My Thanks go to the following for all the great information and tips:

Mark Shead of Productivity 501
John Suter of Money Saving Challenge
Donald Latumahina of Life Optimizer
Robert Pagliarini of Money Watch on BNet
Craig Jarrow of Time Management Ninja
Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. is an Associate Editor at Psych Central
Laura Vanderkam book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. She is a member of USA Today's Board of Contributors, and her work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Scientific American, Wired, The American, Portfolio and other publications.
Stephen Covey book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Ket-Sang Tai's blog on successful multi-level marketing
The Futurist magazine

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule,
but to schedule your priorities."
Stephen R. Covey
(1932, Author (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), professional speaker, professor, consultant, management-expert)

Use the following Priorities

Important but Not Urgent This includes education, reading self-improvement or financial books, going to the gym, spending time with love ones etc. These are all very important but not urgent.
Important and Urgent These are things like fixing a leaking pipe, going to the doctor because you are ill, paying your credit card bill when the due date is tomorrow, etc.
Not important but Urgent Examples of these are dry cleaners, grocery store, buying the lottery ticket for tonight, bidding on something on eBay which is ending soon etc.
Not important and Not Urgent These include watching TV, reading non educational magazines, going out to dinner or a movie etc.
Spontaneous/Unexpected These things are items you did not even think about. A friend comes to your door for a surprise lunch date. Publishers Clearinghouse comes to your door with a big fat check. You have vehicle problems when out and about. The power goes out or a water pipe bursts and stuff like that.

"The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words: I DID NOT HAVE TIME."
Franklin Field
(British author)

TNT

4 Great Sites to Help Keep You Informed & Aware

2011-08-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

All four of these sites update regularly and are a great way to keep on top of all kinds of Natural and Man-made Crises.

Threat Matrix (global) Open Source Intelligence Dashboard Control / Fast Jump Menu Maps - Maps, Graphs, Charts, Predictions, Lists of Recent Incidents, and other items are all updated automatically as new data is added to our databases from which it draws.

The Disaster Center Follow for links to: NOAA -- Warnings - Advisories; Current Warning; NWS Active/Special Warnings;Surface Analysis Loop; Graphical Forecasts; National Forecast; National Radar; National Satellite; Satellite Environment Plot; Real Time Water Data; NWS Offices and Centers

Nature's Fury - Real Time Activity/Alerts for Preparedness and research

Earth Observatory NASA - For Risks on: Aerosol Optical Depth; Chlorophyll; Cloud Fraction; Land Surface Temperature; Net Radiation; Sea Surface Temperature; Snow Cover; Total Rainfall; Vegetation, etc.

“If it is to be, it is up to me.”
William H. Johnsen
Depression-era realist/impressionist painter

TNT

Take a peak at the new arrangement

2011-08-12T16:36:00.001-07:00

Take a peak at the new arrangement to the right panel ;-}

Blog Archives
Links of Interest
Check These Out (my fav blogs)
Downloads
Hazard and Risk Links - These are links for the Natural and Human-made type of risks.

“Without self-reliance, there is no independence.
Without independence there is no freedom.
Without freedom, there is no self.”

TNT

Situational Awareness and You

2011-08-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

When one studies all the “I Survived” stories one quickly realizes that the survivors took control of the few determining factors that were within their realm of control. The key factors were:

Awareness of their situation and what needed to be done
Applying the Reality Check to the situation
Honesty of just what they could and could not do
The Will (tenacity) to strive to do what needed to be done to survive

I’ve lived in a few really large cities (Philadelphia, Chicago, San Diego, Fort Worth, Portland, OR) as well as in farm country and one self-defense tactic that proved the most consistent and valuable in both environments was AWARENESS.

Awareness is the first step to avoidance and many not so pleasant situations can be avoided if you are aware of what is going on around you – of your surroundings. Or as the military and law enforcement prefer to call it: Situational Awareness.

"In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity."
Albert Einstein

The term Situational Awareness is fairly recent (WWI) but the concept has its roots in military theory and is recognizable in Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”. The USAF used the term in air-to-air combat in the Korean and Vietnam wars and linked it to the "observe" and "orient" phases of the famous observe-orient-decide-act loop (OODA Loop) or Boyd Cycle (war theorist USAF Col. John Boyd). It also became widely adapted by Human Factor Behavior Scientists in the 1990’s.

Although numerous definitions of SA have been proposed, Endsley's definition, "the perception of elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future," is firmly established and widely accepted. While some definitions are specific to the environment from which they were adapted, Endsley's definition is applicable across multiple task domains. Several other definitions of SA have been suggested, generally restating the same themes.

There is an excellent article by Scott Stewart called “A Primer on Situational Awareness” that I highly recommend that everyone read – Prepper, Survivalist or not! In it he states the importance of the “mindset” of situational awareness:

“People who practice situational awareness can often spot this planning process [of a dangerous act/crime] as it unfolds and then take appropriate steps to avoid the dangerous situation or prevent it from happening altogether. Because of this, situational awareness is one of the key building blocks of effective personal security — and when exercised by large numbers of people, it can also be an important facet of national security. Since situational awareness is so important, and because we discuss situational awareness so frequently in our analyses, we thought it would be helpful to discuss the subject in detail and provide a primer that can be used by people in all sorts of situations.

An important element of the proper mindset is to first recognize that threats exist. Ignorance or denial of a threat — or completely tuning out one’s surroundings while in a public place — makes a person’s chances of quickly recognizing the threat and avoiding it slim to none. This is why apathy, denial and complacency can be (and often are) deadly. A second important element is understanding the need to take responsibility for one’s own security. The resources of any government are finite and the authorities simply cannot be everywhere and cannot stop every criminal action. The same principle applies to private security at businesses or other institutions, like places of worship. Therefore, people need to look out for themselves and their neighbors.

Another important facet of this mindset is learning to trust your “gut” or intuition. Many times a person’s subconscious can notice subtle signs of danger that the conscious mind has difficulty quantifying or articulating. Many people who are victimized frequently experience such feelings of danger prior to an incident, but choose to ignore them. Even a potentially threatening person not making an immediate move — or even if the person wanders off quickly after a moment of eye contact — does not mean there was no threat. "

Situational Awareness is not just an individual thing; it is also a Team or Group concept too. Team SA is defined as "the degree to which every team member possesses the SA required for his or her responsibilities" (Endsley, 1995, & 1989).

“A man has got to know his terrain.”
Burt Gummer
(Survivalist – Tremors Movies and TV Series)

Overall the importance of being familiar with your surroundings and any dangers that may be present there is critical to good situational awareness. This includes your “gut feelings”, “the hairs on the back of your neck” and “6th senses”.

Because of all the backpacking I have done over the years, I can attest to the fact that one needs to know how animals (including us humans), weather and terrain behave in your area. Different terrains can give you inklings as to what has transpired there in recent history and are likely to occur again.

I can’t tell you how many times, birds stopped chirping or the sudden stillness and silence of the woods around me, has tipped me off to some kind of interloper into my area – 2 legged or 4 legged; knowing the habits of fish has led me to just the right spot to catch my diner; or watching the birds and insects “batten down” while tree leaves turn bottom side up, has alerted me that this pending storm has a good chance to spawn a tornado.

Think about it; if you avoid hazardous situations, you may never need to open the fancy kits (except to check expiration dates, of course). The techniques of situational awareness, as applied to civilian life, are simple to “learn”, easy to apply and can easily save your life.

"We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence then is not an act but a habit."
Aristotle

Yes this takes time and effort. The basics don’t cost more than that. So if you think your time is just too limited and you are just too busy – you better ask yourself and answer honestly, just what priority you give Preparedness.

“Practice makes perfect and repetition is the foundation to learning.”

Practice generates “Muscle Memory” or “Retention of Motor Skills (Motor Learning)”. No not your biceps, the other muscle, your brain. You know those memories stored in your brain that are much like a cache of frequently enacted tasks for your muscles. It's a form of procedural memory that can help you become very good at something through repetition. Of course if you repeatedly do something incorrectly you will have “bad muscle memory” and do no more than repeat your mistakes.

The bottom line is that you can’t really be “taught” situational awareness – you have to DO IT to LEARN IT and you have to do it – over and over and over, again and again. Until you don’t have to think about it anymore – it becomes a habit and not a chore.

“Failing to learn something new, is failing to be alive.”

To learn how to increase your Situational Awareness get the Tips & Tricks @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/61546986/Situational-Awareness-and-You

Keep on Preppin ;-}

TNT

Disasters Happen - Even Here!

2011-07-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, Virginia
Disasters DO happen even in New Mexico!

A disaster, emergency or crisis can happen anywhere, at anytime; they come in all shapes and sizes.

These crises will NOT be convenient.

They will NOT wait until you and yours are all at home and ready.

No, instead they will happen when we least expect them.

In the opening sentence of the New Mexico Family Emergency Preparedness Guide (pg 4 found in PDF @ http://www.nmdhsem.org/uploads/files/New%20Mexico%20Family%20Emergency%20Preparedness%20Guide%20High%20Quality.pdf) by New Mexico Department of Homeland Security it states:

“Even in New Mexico – disasters happen. Every community in our state is vulnerable. As New Mexicans, we face the threat of a variety of natural disasters and the threat of man-made disasters. In the last year, New Mexico has dealt with an unprecedented series of emergencies from drought to fire, flooding to severe winter weather, and even tornadoes.”

In the New Mexico Family Emergency Preparedness Guide (pg found in PDF pg 3 @ http://www.health.state.nm.us/ohem/Publications/Family-Emergency-Preparedness-Guide.pdf) by New Mexico Department of Health states:

“Communities throughout the Southwest are subject to a number of potential natural disasters such as fires, tornadoes, flooding, severe storms, earthquakes, dam failures, landslides. While we all hope that such occurrences never happen, it has been shown time and time again that being prepared for disasters is prudent. Emergency services and government agencies may not be able to respond to your needs immediately. Their buildings, equipment, personnel, communications, and mobility may be severely hampered by the event. …”

I have lived all over the United States so please believe me when I say that the quotes above can apply to any state in the United States of America.

To top it off check out the some federal preparedness sites:

From FEMA @ http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/why_prepare.shtm it states:

“The need to prepare is real.

Disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Each disaster has lasting effects, both to people and property.
If a disaster occurs in your community, local government and disaster-relief organizations will try to help you, but you need to be ready as well. Local responders may not be able to reach you immediately, or they may need to focus their efforts elsewhere.
You should know how to respond to severe weather or any disaster that could occur in your area - hurricanes, earthquakes, extreme cold, flooding, or terrorism.
You should also be ready to be self-sufficient for at least three days. This may mean providing for your own shelter, first aid, food, water, and sanitation. …”

At the DHS site @ http://www.dhs.gov/files/prepresprecovery.shtm

“Preparedness, Response & Recovery

In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will provide a coordinated, comprehensive federal response and mount a swift and effective recovery effort.

The Department assumes primary responsibility for ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation. …”

Preparedness, Response & Recovery Activities & Programs ..."

The DoD has what they call the Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative or DPSI @ http://policy.defense.gov/domesticprep/index.aspx to aid local, state and federal level First Responders. To quote their home page they plan to do this through:

“Through the DoD Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative, the DoD fulfills Congress’ intent to support public safety and homeland security by leveraging taxpayer investments in defense technology and equipment. Partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), and communications with first responders, are critical for success in this important mission! Working closely with DHS and DOJ, we promote the advancement, commercialization, and transition of high priority DoD projects that can result in first responder capability improvements.”

The agencies above and many others strive to help us in a time of crisis – Yet they are ALL telling us that we will most likely be On Our Own for at least 3 Days (72 hours).

Preparedness is NOT being a doomsayer; it is NOT being irrational and it is most definitely NOT crazy to be prepared.

Take Responsibility
Make a Plan
Have a Kit
Practice
Stay Aware

Read about the 10 Preparedness Tips that you and your family can take at http://www.scribd.com/doc/61314128/Disasters-Happen-Even-Here

It has a list of resources to help you along ;-}

For a list of New Mexico disasters see New Mexico Crisis History & Information

Today is the Tomorrow
that you worried about Yesterday

TNT

Safety & Security

2011-07-20T15:22:00.001-07:00

Is your Crisis Retreat Defensible?

Follow the link and test your retreat ... The Defensible Retreat Checklist

Is your home Burglar Proof?

Follow the link and take the Home Security Audit ... Public Hazard–Crime: Home Burglary Prevention

"In business or in football, it takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to produce spectacular results."
Roger Staubach, Hall of Fame Football Player

TNT

Back-up Plans

2011-07-10T10:09:00.001-07:00

“I am prepared for the worst
but hope for the best”
Benjamin Disraeli
(British Prime Minister & novelist 1804-1881)

What is a back-up plan?

Well dah, it’s the plan you use when your # 1 plan isn’t working out.

How does this work in preparedness?

Most people plan for the best and then maybe make a back-up plan or two, in case things don’t go as good as planned. To me this is the hard way to do things.

Plan for the worst FIRST, then make each successive plan just a bit of a better scenario than the worst case scenario primary plan.

Remember it is far easier and quicker to adjust a worst case scenario plan to a better or best case plan than it is to do the reverse.

“Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival.”
W. Edwards Deming

With this in mind; How do you make a back-up plan?

Keep all those human “conditions” that we have to balance in mind. Apply that to plan making – plan for the worst, underestimate just about everything and make a plan for that scenario. This is your primary plan.

First Plan for the Worst Case Scenario

Then play the What-IF game with your primary plan to make additional back-up and contingency plans.

Your most knowledgeable and skilled people are NOT with you
You lost or have NO access to most of your goods
You can’t get to your primary or secondary retreat or those retreats are unavailable
Usual modes of transportation are NOT available
Usual routes are NOT available
Usual and routine modes of communication are NOT available
Second Underestimate
Goods (supplies)
Knowledge
Skills
Competencies
Capabilities
Family and Friends
Transportation (vehicles and roads, etc.)
Communication (any method)
Power (electricity from any source)

Second - Underestimate what you can do and how well you can do it. Expect and plan for the unexpected.

Third - Overestimate your weaknesses and enemies (including bad luck)

If you feel that you can do without a bed and drink canned milk if need be; draw your plans up around NOT being able to sleep on the ground and puking when trying to drink canned milk.

If you think you can hide or outsmart any dangerous “enemies”, center your plans around NOT being able to outpower, out maneuvor or outsmart your enemy – even if that enemy is Mother Nature.

Fourth, Plan Your Back-up Plans - Which now become “second nature”, require little if any thought or effort, as each back-up plan is one step better than worst case scenario.

Since you have done your hard work with your primary, worst case scenario plan it is now time to create your backup plans that are soo much easier.

Fifth Put Your Plans (worst case scenario) in Writing

With your worst case scenario as your primary plan and your better case scenarios as your backup plans you will be good to go and ready for just about any FUBAR that could head your way.

Taking the time to formally put your plans into writing is step 1 to a psychological exercise that is designed to have us remembering this plan without really thinking. The second step is to practice, practice and practice.

If you are a household plan for what to do if your most knowledgeable and skilled members do NOT make it to your retreat. Plan what to do if NONE of you can make it to either retreat – primary or secondary; if you’ve lost your supplies, etc.

Do the same for any preparedness group. What will your group do if your most skilled and knowledgeable members do NOT make it to the gathering place or retreat? What will the group members do if the MAJORITY of your members can’t make it to your rendezvous place?

“The more you depend on forces outside yourself,
the more you are dominated by them.”
Harold Sherman

Consider these examples:

Recently there was a person in a wildfire area that was complaining that she had to turn her horses loose and let them “fend for themselves” and she had no time to pack her valuables - all because she only got a 15 minute warning to evacuate. Now, how could this person have been living in a wildfire area; with all of its smoke, haze and ash for over a month and NOT have packed and moved un-replaceable items or had her horses moved out PRIOR to the evacuation notice?

This individual obviously did NOT have a plan, was NOT observant, had little real knowledge of wildfires or of what was going on around her and expected some outside “entity” to tell her, in sufficient time, when to evacuate so she could take care of her animals, pack and go.

Then there is a preparedness group that is running around accumulating skills for only a small, specialized team within their group. They are practicing, getting tools, supplies and ‘uniforms’, etc.. They don’t have a single plan, yet alone a back-up plan, on what to do to help the rest of the group (or themselves) if this team cannot show up in force or their supplies are unreachable. So just how successful do you think this group or this team is going to be in a SHTF world when they are needed most?

This group does NOT have a plan or back-up plan, they are feeding a psychological “feel good” need and accumulating “stuff”, rather than taking care of their physical basic needs.

“To be prepared is to anticipate risk and
to prudently act toward prevention.”
Wes Fessler
(born March 10, 1970 in Arcadia, California) is an American author.

4 Key preparedness aspects are ignored in the above examples:

Plan and Practice for the Worst Case Scenario and hope for the best. This gives you easy best case scenario plans, even on the fly, in the quickest timeframe.
Situational Awareness - Keeping an eye and ear on what is happening around you. Your own senses and gut instincts will alert you to pending danger faster than any news media or authoritive entity.
If an authoritive entity suggests or orders an evacuation, they have waited until the last possible moment to issue the order.
You CANNOT count on any authoritive, government or emergency agency to come to your rescue in a timely fashion. The only things you can count on are yourself (physical, emotional & spiritual), your knowledge, skills, supplies and tools you have on hand – At That Time.

“If it is to be, it is up to me.”
William H. Johnsen
Depression-era realist/impressionist painter

As your household or group becomes more knowledgeable, supplied, skilled, practiced and working from a written worst case scenario plan, your back-up plans will fall into place quite easily with hardly any effort at all.

I know – it sounds simple in theory and is far from it in practice. This is another reason why it is better to Keep It Simple from the get go.

Do all your difficult soul searching, self-evaluations and decision making first - while you are free of the stress and pressure of the crisis itself.

Don’t consider high-tech gadgets or a warehouse full of goods as the backbone to your plans. These can be supplements, just not the mainstay.

Then just do it ;-}

"What we anticipate seldom occurs;
what we least expect generally happens."
Benjamin Disraeli

TNT

July 4th A Day to Reflect

2011-07-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

Most of us tend to think that we celebrate the Fourth of July because that is the day we received our Independence from England. We are the right track, yet not entirely correct. What happened to those men who signed our Declaration of Independence? When did we start using fireworks to celebrate?

A 4th of July Quiz

1. When did the Continental Congress actually pass a resolution of Independence?

a) July 1
b) July 2
c) July 3

2. Who was on the committee assembled to draft the declaration?

a) Richard Henry Lee, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and George Washington.
b) Samuel Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and John Hancock.
c) John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman.

3. What was one of the reasons that Adams told Jefferson, the youngest man on the committee, to draft a declaration?

a) Jefferson was from Massachusetts, a politically powerful state.
b) Adams knew that he was unpopular and considered obnoxious by many delegates. In order for the declaration to be accepted, he had to keep a low profile.
c) Adams wanted to challenge Jefferson to improve his writing skills by drafting an important document.

4. Which of the following was something Congress cut out of Jefferson's draft of the declaration?

a) They removed all references to slavery.
b) They removed all references to women.
c) They removed a paragraph written in Latin.

5. Which two key players in the history of Independence died on the fiftieth anniversary of the declaration?

a) Thomas Jefferson and John Hancock
b) Thomas Jefferson and John Adams
c) Benjamin Franklin and John Adams

Take the quiz, scan the trivia, say a prayer of thanks and reflect.

To find out the history behind this day of Independence and the answers to the quiz see: July 4th a Day to Reflect http://www.scribd.com/doc/59247946/July-4th-a-Day-to-Reflect

For a Safer Fireworks

Try to attend public fireworks displays. The shows are safer and are meant for better displays than what might be achieved at your home.

For a list of Albuquerque public displays see: http://events.kob.com/default.aspx?ct=r&q=fireworks

However, if you must use fireworks, be sure to follow certain safety rules.

Remember:

New Mexico is under a fireworks ban due to a severe drought and existing wildfires. So, the first thing you should do is to check out with the fire department if the fireworks are legal in your community.

Each year people suffer burns, loss of eyesight, burst eardrums and other injuries, and property is damaged because of fireworks.

Words of caution:

Common fireworks are explosives and must be handled with care and respect to prevent injury and property damage.

If fireworks are allowed in your community, know the rules to be followed (no bottle rockets, etc) and some common sense do's and don'ts:

The Do's

Obey your city or town ordinance on the use of fireworks.
Always purchase high quality fireworks from reliable sources.
Follow the printed instructions carefully, and use common sense.
Never use fireworks in glass or metal containers.
Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
Use fireworks outdoors only in a clear area away from houses and buildings.
Light only one item at a time, then move back quickly once the fuse is ignited.
Keep all other fireworks at a safe distance from where they are being discharged.
Never experiment with homemade fireworks.
Make sure adults supervise the firing of all fireworks.
Always wear safety goggles when using fireworks.
Have an adult supervise the use of all fireworks.
Always read and follow label directions.
Have an adult present.
Buy from reliable sellers.
Use outdoors only.
Make sure to have all flammable and combustible materials removed from the area of shooting and landing.
Always have water handy (a garden hose and a bucket).
Light only one firework at a time.
Use a "punk", instead of the lighters and matches, for a safer ignition.
If necessary, store fireworks in a cool, dry place. And, away from any source of fire.
Soak the burnt out fireworks in water and dispose of them in a trashcan.
Make sure to wear eye protection while shooting.
Stay away from illegal explosives.

The Don'ts:

Never try illegal explosives.
Never experiment or make your own fireworks.
Never give fireworks to small children (below 12).
Never throw or point fireworks at other people.
Never re-light a "dud" firework (wait 15 to 20 minutes and then soak it in water).
Never have any part of the body over the firework.
Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
Never shoot fireworks in metal or glass containers.
Never ignite aerial fireworks near, or, below a tree, overhead wires, or anything that may obstruct the flight.
Never ignite aerial fireworks near an opening, e.g. a door, a window. ENJOY !

“Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency;but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
Benjamin Franklin

TNT

WILDFIRES - New Mexico Burning

2011-07-02T21:53:00.001-07:00

With July 4 just two days away; a month of smoke haze and air quality warnings in Albuquerque; bans on fireworks (even though the vendor stands are still up and selling like crazy) and road and public land closings. I have to seriously wonder where we humans have our priorities. Ah, yes the all mighty dollar and our own amusement or S & G’s.

We humans will have our fireworks, legal or not and who gives a darn if the woods catch fire and some people lose their homes or worse, their lives – as long as it is not us and we had fun, what’s the problem right?. After all with this economy, the vendors have to make their money and with the depressing troubles in the news we need a little entertainment and fun to chase the blues away. We don’t really need all those trees to release oxygen into the air do we? So what if we are in a drought, the plants will grow back fast enough to prevent landslides, right?

Think living in the city or town will save ya? Better think again - In Albuquerque we have a heavily wooded Bosque that runs through the center of town; the Sandia and Manzano Mtns are a tinder box waiting to go up on Albuquerque’s east side - Ask Luna and Ruidoso or Silver City how much being in town protected them.

A FIRE - woodland or urban is inhuman – it is all consuming; it doesn’t care what country we are from; what our political affiliation is; if we are rich or poor or what color our skin is and it most assuredly doesn't give a dam if it is convenient or not. It is a beast, a fire breathing dragon running amok and our only “dragon slayers” are our firefighters!

If you currently live in the High danger zones for this July (2011): (New Mexico, west Texas, southern Colorado, western Oklahoma, Nevada, southern Utah, southern California, eastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi or southwestern Alabama or small areas of: Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Montana, Massachusetts or Wyoming) you had best pay particular attention to this information.

To keep abreast of Wildfires check out the U.S. Forest Service @ http://gacc.nifc.gov/ and www.publiclands.org/firenews/. For New Mexico see http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/, http://nmroads.com/, http://www.cabq.gov/airquality/ or any of the local news outlets.

For information on fireworks and the 4th of July in New Mexico see:
City promises big consequences if fireworks spark fires http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S2182623.shtml?cat=500

Public Fireworks Displays http://events.kob.com/default.aspx?ct=r&q=fireworks

For detailed information on Wildfire prevention and safety see WILDFIRES - New Mexico Burning - Safety Tips & Prevention @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/59214243/WILDFIRES-New-Mexico-Burning-Safety-Tips-Prevention

For additional downloadable information see Wildfire Tips -Downloads & Links @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/59214071/Wildfire-Tips-Downloads-Links

This July 4 let us be responsible for our own actions or inaction.
Be Smart – Be Safe

TNT

Checklists, Checklists and More Checklists

2011-06-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

“Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival.”
W. Edwards Deming

Did You Know?

Only 1 in 10 American households has hit the preparedness trifecta: a family emergency plan, an emergency supply kit, and training in first aid and CPR.
40% of businesses never reopen after a disaster.
Close to 60% of Americans are wholly unprepared for a disaster of any kind.
Although 89 percent of those surveyed believe it's important to be prepared, far fewer are ready for an emergency.
One-third of businesses surveyed do not have a business continuity plan in place.
93 percent of parents agree it's important for their child's school emergency preparedness efforts to be recognized by the American Red Cross.

“Today is the Tomorrow that you worried about Yesterday”

Getting started on a Preparedness Plan can seem like a daunting task. The Red Cross is a great place for "getting started" checklists. They have some simple, crisis specific checkslists covering a wide range of possible crises:

Chemical Emergencies
Chemical Emergencies - Home Product Precautions
Chemical Emergencies - Important Points
CO Poisoning
Commuter Safety (great tips-no downloads)
Coping with Shelter-in-Place Emergencies
Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities
Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors
Disaster Recovery: Picking up the Pieces after a Disaster
Disaster Recovery: Picking up the Pieces after a Fire
Disaster Recovery: Repairing Your Flooded Home
Disaster Recovery: Returning Home after a Hurricane or Flood
Disaster Recovery: A Guide to Financial Issues
Drought Preparing for
Earthquake Safety Checklist
Emergency Contact Card
Emergency Information Sheet
Emergency Preparedness Checklist for Small Businesses
Financial Planning A Guide for Disaster Preparedness (no downloads but great info)
Fire FAQS Home Fires
Fire Prevention & Safety
Fire Safety CANDLE Safety
Fire Safety ESCAPE Planning
FIRE SAFETY Fact Sheet
Fire Safety HOLIDAY
Fire Safety SMOKE ALARMS
Fires and CHILDREN
Fires COOKING
Fires HOME HEATING
First Aid/CPR E-Sheet (office setting) (Select item you want and download the Word Doc)
First Aid/CPR E-Sheet (warehouse setting) (Select item you want and download the Word Doc)
First Aid/CPR/AED E-Sheet (office setting) (Select item you want and download the Word Doc)
First Aid/CPR/AED E-Sheet (warehouse setting) (Select item you want and download the Word Doc)
Flood Safety Checklist
Flu Checklist
Flu Family Preparedness Fact Sheet for Pandemic Flu
Flu Pandemic Flu Coping and Emotional Well Being
Flu Taking Care of People with the Flu
Food and Water in an Emergency
Frostbite and Hypothermia
Halloween Lucky 13 Tips for a Safe Halloween
Heat Wave Safety
Helping Children Cope with Disaster
Home Pool and Hot Tub Maintenance and Safety
Hurricane Safety
Hurricanes and the Oil Spill in the Gulf
Landslide Safety
Masters of Disaster (for kids) educators Kit
National Flood Insurance Program
Oil Spill Checklist
Oil Spill Staying Hopeful
Pet- Order a Cat First Aid Manual
Pet- Order a Dog First Aid Manual
Pets and Disaster Safety
Pets- Plants potentially poisonous to pets
Power Outage
Power Outage Checklist
Prepare Now for Peace of Mind Later - A family health and safety guide
Preparing for Disaster
Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and Other Special Needs
Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and other Special Needs
Preparing Your Business for the Unthinkable
Ready Rating Program for Businesses (great info-no downloads)
Ready Rating Program for Schools (great info-no downloads)
Safe and Well - Let Your Family Know You're Safe
Register Yourself as “Safe and Well” or Search for Loved Ones
Safe Room Reinforcement
Staying Healthy Every Day (for kids) handout by Sesame Street
Swimming Safely in Lakes, Rivers and Streams
Taking Care of Your Emotional Health after a Disaster
Terrorism Preparing for the Unexpected
The Scrub Club (for kids)
The Scrub Club (for kids) downloads
Thunderstorm Safety
Tornado Safety
Tsunami Safety
Wild Fire Safety
Winter Storm Safety Checklist
Workplace - Personal Workplace Disaster Supplies Kit
Workplace - Preparing your Business for the unthinkable

For links to where to download these nifty checklists see: Red Cross Checklists @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/59009545/Red-Cross-Checklists and TNTs List of Preparedness Checklists @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/50951101/TNTs-List-of-Preparedness-Checklists

“Without self-reliance, there is no independence.
Without independence there is no freedom.
Without freedom, there is no self.”

TNT

Food for Thought - Who Controls Our Food?

2011-06-27T16:57:00.001-07:00

"Control the oil and you'll control the nations;
control the food and you'll control the people."
Henry Kissinger (1970)

With that quote in mind it is no wonder that our agribusiness entities are so reluctant to disclose just who their money and decision making “mother” entities are. Humm, when ya think about it, it kinda lends credence to some conspiracy theories …

For the past couple of years I have been collecting information that I can quantify from public financial records and the various corporate web sites. My goal is to compose some kind of relationship chart as to who or what, controls who or what, where our necessity to life goods are concerned – particularly food. I have NOT validated ALL the information in this little ditty; however I have verified quite a lot of it. So much so that I think the local library is sick of me spending half days photo copying and printing off microphish.

When you take a gander at the company information, you will start to see a repeat of corporate entities. These entities are soo interwoven that I am having a very difficult time in sorting all this out into some kind of outline or visual. What really sticks out, even though I am not done with this task as yet, is that our food systems are indeed controlled by a handful of very powerful people scattered over a handful of corporate entities – from seeds to our grocery stores and just about everything in between.

For anyone with half a brain cell or two to rub together, the information below will undoubtedly trigger some staggering thoughts …

In 1997, 4 companies processed 80 percent of all steers and heifers in the US. (MacDonald, James M., Michael E. Ollinger, Kenneth E. Nelson, and Charles R. Handy. " Concentration and Consolidation in Livestock Slaughter." USDA Economic Research Service, March 1999.)

3 Companies Control 90% of the Beef Industry - JBS Swift, Tyson, Cargill. The meatpacking industry has become even more consolidated due to a Brazilian company taking over two major U.S. meatpacking companies.

4 Companies Control 66% of the Pork Industry. Smithfield, Tyson, Cargill and JBS Swift process most of the pork in the U.S. Now they are expanding their factory farm model to places such as Poland, Romania and Mexico. A Mexican Smithfield plant is suspected of being behind the recent outbreak of Swine Flu.

The largest pork producer (Smithfield Foods) has over 1.2 million sows (the pigs housed to give birth to those that will be slaughtered) and has the capacity to slaughter 102,900 pigs daily.

4 Companies Control 60% of the Poultry Industry. Contract poultry growers usually are under the thumb of Pilgrim’s Pride, Tyson, Perdue and Sanderson Farms.

Some of the biggest Meat Processing companies in the US are Tyson, Cargill, Swift & Co., National Beef Packing Co., Five Rivers (Smithfield and ContiBeef), Smithfield Foods, Pilgrim's Pride and Butterball. Meaning that Meat production in the US is controlled for a large part by just a handful of companies. (Hendrickson, Mary and William Heffernan. "Concentration of Agricultural Markets." Department of Rural Sociology, University of Missouri. April 2007.)

Overall: 4 companies control 83% of Beef Processing; 4 companies control 66% of Pork Processing and 4 companies control 58% of broiler Chicken Production and Processing.

In 1996, the rate of repeated-trauma disorders (or injuries that develop over time) at meat-packing plants was 27 times higher than the national average. (US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Meat Packing Plants Have the Highest Rate of Repeated-Trauma Disorders." August, 1999)

On average it is estimated that meat and slaughter houses misrepresent the actual occurrence of injury and illness by as much as 1,000 percent. (Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York : Houghton Mifflin Company. 2001, p 180)

Few Corporate Entities Control Dairy Industry. In the dairy industry, 3 dominant players control most of the dairy products we consume. Dean Foods controls the majority of fluid milk markets (up to 100% in parts of the country), while Kraft dominates the consumer cheese sector and Leprino Foods manufactures most of the mozzarella cheese for the pizza and food processing industries. Meanwhile, farmers in many parts of the country have only one dairy cooperative they can sell their milk to: Dairy Farmers of America. DFA then works in tandem with the likes of Dean Foods to manipulate milk prices to be low for farmers while price-gouging consumers. These anti-competitive practices have been the subject of a two-year investigation by the Department of Justice and DFA has been fined $12 million for price manipulation by the Commodities Future Trading Commission.

3 Companies Control 90% Corn Market. Only three companies - Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge and Cargill - control 90% of the global grain trade. This means farmers in Iowa and elsewhere have had less and less options for selling their grain. These companies can also manipulate the price of corn on the Chicago Board of Trade.

Just one company, Monsanto, controls the majority of seeds in the US, and regularly threatens farmers who don't buy its seeds.

2 Companies Dominate the Corn Seed Market while Monsanto Has Near Monopoly on GM Traits. DuPont (Pioneer) and Monsanto control 58% of the U.S. market for corn seed. These companies have been pushing expensive genetically modified seeds onto farmers, further endangering biodiversity by encouraging monoculture crops. Monsanto has acquired dozens of independent seed companies in the last decade. Monsanto controls 70% of the transgenic corn market, more than 90% of the transgenic soybean market, and 90% of the transgenic cotton seed market.

Prices are rising at the supermarket, but you've heard that farmers are struggling -- and big food companies have made record profits this year.

Hawaii imports 90% of its food.

In 1866, 1,186 varieties of fruits and vegetables were produced in California. Today, California's farms produce only 350 commercial crops.

In the U.S., a wheat farmer can expect to receive about six cents of each dollar spent on a loaf of bread— approximately the cost of the wrapping.

Farmers' markets enable farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.

About 1/3 of all U.S. farms are located within metropolitan areas, comprising 18% of total U.S. farmland.

In 2001 the US imported:

68.2% of our fish and shellfish
27.3 percent of confectionary products
21.4 percent of fruits, juices, and nuts
15.5 percent of vegetable oils
9.3 percent of red meat

The United States has no legal definition of “fresh”. Additionally, products are often grown in one area and processed in another, which may cause complications in the purchasing of local foods. In the international wine industry, much "bulk wine" is shipped to other regions or continents, to be blended with wine from other locales. It may even be marketed quite misleadingly as a product of the bottling country. This is in direct opposition to both the concept of "local food" and the concept of terroir. In 2008 Congress passed H.R.2419 which defined “local” by amending the "Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act". In the amendment "locally" and "regionally" are grouped together and are defined as:

‘‘(I) the locality or region in which the final product is marketed, so that the total distance that
the product is transported is less than 400 miles from the origin of the product; or ‘‘(II) the State in which the product is produced. – Bill Text - 110th Congress (2007-2008) - THOMAS (Library of Congress

Note 400 miles is essentially a DGD (day-goodsdistance).

In the United States, neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has rules for “natural." The FDA explicitly discourages the food industry from using the term. The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits labeling that is false or misleading, but does not give any specifics. The international Food and Agriculture Organization's Codex Alimentarius does not recognize the term "natural" but does have a standard for organic foods. Canada, United Kingdom and Israel do have legal definitions of “natural”.

Organic food production is a heavily regulated industry, distinct from private gardening (for now). Currently, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain special certification in order to market food as "organic" within their borders. In the context of these regulations, "organic food" is food made in a way that complies with organic standards set by national governments and international organizations. In the United States, organic production is a system that is managed in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990 and regulations in Title 7, Part 205 of the Code of Federal Regulations to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. The USDA runs the National Organic Program, which regulates the legal definition of what organic food is. There are however way too many loopholes in the US National Organic Program when it comes to processed foods within the organic industry.

Fresh Food is basically food that is not preserved by canning, dehydration, freezing, curing, smoking or any other preservation method other than storing as is. Currently there are no legal definitions of the term “fresh” in the food industry of the United States. In fact the USDA will consider some produce “fresh and in season” if was shipped and received at point of sale while still “in season” in its original farm location.

Note that Natural Food and Organic Food are NOT interchangeable terms:

In order for a food to be labeled organic it must comply with the organic certifier’s standards.
The term natural refers to how much processing a food has undergone.
Natural food has undergone minimal processing and does not have added preservatives or other food additives.
The term “natural” has nothing to do with whether that food was grown organically.
A fruit or vegetable can be grown using dangerous pesticides but if it is unprocessed, it can still be called natural.

Food Miles: In the U.S. we have industrialized our food production systems so that food is often picked in one location, then depending on the item, it travels from farm/ranch to various “plants” for a particular process. Like: cleaning; sorting; packaging; bulk buying; etc. and finally shipped to the point of sale – our grocery stores. This travel is measured in DGD or day-goods-distance which is 400 miles. A typical carrot has to travel 1,838 miles to reach your dinner table. In other articles including the World Watch Institute (http://www.worldwatch.org/), in the United States, from 2007, food typically travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to plate, as much as 25 percent farther than in 1980. All these “stops” between the farm/ranch and the marketplace are controlled by a handful of mega-corporations mentioned in the rest of this article – yep the Food Cartels or in reality - Food Oligopolies.

The Svalbard Global Seed Bank or “Dooms Day Vault” is a well-guarded fortress located 810 miles from the North Pole on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, inside a mountain near the small village of Longyearbyen. The bank has dual blast-proof doors with motion sensors, two airlocks, and walls of steel-reinforced concrete one meter thick. The seed vault collects and houses seeds from every continent. This is supposedly to maintain plant genetic diversity in case of some disaster. It will eventually contain up to three million different varieties of seeds from the entire world, ‘so that crop diversity can be conserved for the future,’ according to the Norwegian government. Seeds will be specially wrapped to exclude moisture. There will be no full-time staff, but the vault's relative inaccessibility will facilitate monitoring any possible human activity. The question here is how are we supposed to feel safe, confident or protected when the entities that “manage and administer” this vault are: the Gates Foundation, DuPont Corporation, Monsanto Corporation, Rockefeller Foundation, Syngenta Foundation, the Government of Norway, and the World Bank (to name a few)?

In “Multinational companies becoming a threat to food security” (http://www.consumer.org.my/index.php/food/security/152-multinational-companies-becoming-a-threat-to-food-security) “It is now increasingly realised that the growing dominance of food and agriculture sector by a handful of giant agribusiness corporations is posing a serious threat to food security and well-being of farmers. This dominance starts right from the beginning of agricultural work, i.e. from seeds. … This dominance of farming by giant agribusiness companies has proved socially disruptive, ecologically destructive and ruinous for family farmers, particularly in the US where the dominance of these companies has spread the most rapidly. … However many giant agri-business have obtained access to these invaluable genetic material thereby greatly increasing their control of the food system.”

In a Huffington Post commentary titled Guess Who's Controlling Our Food Supply by Rob Smart dated July 27, 2009 stated: “…For those who prefer to avoid serving as human lab rats, myself included, our non-GM food options, according to advocates of GM food, boil down to eating USDA Certified Organic, which do not allow any genetically modified seed or crops to be used on such labeled unprocessed food products. Their idea of severely limiting consumer choice, since they are adamantly opposed to "GMO Inside" labeling, goes against their own argument of freedom to choose, which also goes against the very fabric of what makes America's version of capitalism work so well. … It is hard to understand how a handful of companies have amassed so much control over food ingredients found in an estimated 75 percent of processed foods in America's supermarkets. Making matters worse, and as the Scientific American editors point out, we are talking about a basic physiological need -- food, which joins water, shelter and a handful of other needs defined by Abraham Maslow in his hierarchy of needs. … Who cares if these claims have not been independently verified. Who cares if the Union of Concerned Scientists have released a report on GM crop yields debunking industry claims of significant yield improvements: "Despite 20 years of research and 13 years of commercialization, genetic engineering has failed to significantly increase U.S. crop yields." …”

If JBS gobbles up Smithfield, three companies will own U.S. meat market (http://www.grist.org/article/food-wall-street-bets-on-jbs-takeover-of-pork-giant-smithfield)

Per Scientific America, Do Seed Companies Control GM Crop Research? (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-seed-companies-control-gm-crop-research) August 13, 2009: “Unfortunately, it is impossible to verify that genetically modified crops perform as advertised. That is because agritech companies have given themselves veto power over the work of independent researchers. … Research on genetically modified seeds is still published, of course. But only studies that the seed companies have approved ever see the light of a peer-reviewed journal.” And “To purchase genetically modified seeds, a customer must sign an agreement that limits what can be done with them. (If you have installed software recently, you will recognize the concept of the end-user agreement.) Agreements are considered necessary to protect a company’s intellectual property, and they justifiably preclude the replication of the genetic enhancements that make the seeds unique. But agritech companies such as Monsanto, Pioneer and Syngenta go further. For a decade their user agreements have explicitly forbidden the use of the seeds for any independent research. Under the threat of litigation, scientists cannot test a seed to explore the different conditions under which it thrives or fails. They cannot compare seeds from one company against those from another company. And perhaps most important, they cannot examine whether the genetically modified crops lead to unintended environmental side effects….”

In an article of The Examiner in March of 2011 by Kenneth Schorten Jr, titled “George Soros making a move to control food and grain production” (http://www.examiner.com/finance-examiner-in-national/george-soros-making-a-move-to-control-food-and-grain-production) it stated: “Financier and progressive activist George Soros is formulating a move to control food and grain production by purchasing grain elevators in late March in several parts of the United States through his Soros Managment Fund's backed Gavilon Grain. With purchases made in March, Gavilon Grain will become the third largest grain company behind Cargill, and Archer-Daniels Midland.”

According to Vigilant Citizen (http://vigilantcitizen.com/vigilantreport/irrational-consumerism-or-the-few-companies-who-feed-the-world/) article Irrational Consumerism (or The Few Companies Who Feed the World) dated April 15th: “Not many people realize that most of the processed foods available on the market, whether they be in groceries or fast-food chains, all come from the same few companies. Even less people realize that these companies are major actors in elite organizations who decide health, social and economic policies around the world. We’ll look at the big three companies who feed the world, their many brands and the tactics they undertake to make people crave their products. If one were to carefully study the labels on packaged products in an average grocery store, one would probably notice that the same company names appear repeatedly: Nestlé, Kraft, General Mills and a few others. Many brands offering good ol’ fashioned homemade or all-natural/organic foods are nothing more than subsidiaries of these few world-wide mega-companies. ... “Drink pure, clear, refreshing Aquafina water, bottled with care from remote natural sources in the Himalayas … BROUGHT TO YOU BY PEPSICO, THE MAKER OF TACO BELL AND CHEETOS MIGHTY ZINGERS!” ... The processed-food industry can be considered a true oligopoly. Together, the three leading food companies, Nestle, Kraft Foods and PepsiCo, achieve a dominant proportion of global processed-food sales. In fact, these three companies are often used as an example of “Rule of Three” in business schools, since they are a real-life example of a market being dominated by three gigantic actors."

From ModernSurvivalBlog.com (http://modernsurvivalblog.com/current-events-economics-politics/food-supply-controlled-by-only-a-few/) in the post dated July 13, 2010 titled “Food Supply Controlled By Only A Few”: “I’ve read that the top five supermarket grocery store chains in many countries of Europe, account for two-thirds of the total food sales in those regions. Here in the U.S., it is apparently nearly the same with the top seven supermarket chains making up two-thirds of sales according to 2007 data (I’m sure that not much has changed since 2007 to today). … It is quite a thing that only four companies control half of the food supply in the U.S., with probably similar numbers in other developed countries. …” The post has a great graphic showing just what grocery stores provide the most.

One cannot ignore an article published by the Executive Intelligence Review (EIR) in December of 1995 titled “Control by the Food Cartel Companies: Profiles and Histories” which introduced us to the Anglo-Dutch-Swiss food cartel. Naming:

Cargill: #1 U.S. grain trader/exporter (25% of market, which is equivalent to Cargill exporting 25.1 million tons or 1.0 billion bushels of grain); #1 world grain trader/exporter (25% of market, which is equivalent to Cargill exporting 52.9 million tons, or 2.11 billion bushels of grain); #1 U.S. owner of grain elevators (340 elevators); #1 world cotton trader; #1 U.S. manufacturer of corn-based high-protein animal feeds (through subsidiary Nutrena Mills); #2 U.S. wet corn miller; #2 U.S. soybean crusher; #2 Argentine grain exporter (10% of market); #3 U.S. flour miller (18% of market); #3 U.S. meatpacker, through Excel division (18% of market); #3 U.S. pork packer/slaughterer; #3 U.S. commercial animal feeder; #3 French grain exporter (15-18% of market); #6 U.S. turkey producer.

Cargill raises 350,000 hogs, 12 million turkeys, and 312 million broiler chickens. In the United States, it owns 420 barges, 11 towboats, 2 huge vessels that sail the Great Lakes, 12 ocean-going ships, 2,000 railroad hopper cars, and 2,000 tank cars.

Cargill and its subsidiaries operate 800 plants. It has 500 U.S. offices, 300 foreign offices. It operates in 60 countries.

Continental Grain: Continental processes and markets 2 billion pounds of poultry, beef, pork, and seafood, along with 5 million tons of animal feeds and wheat flour. The company transports nearly 75 million tons of grains, oilseeds, rice, cotton, and energy products annually, an amount that exceeds the annual production of almost every country in the world.

Continental owns a fleet of towboats and 500 river barges. It owns over 1,500 hopper cars. It has offices and plants in 50 countries, on 6 continents.

Louis Dryfes: #1 French grain exporter; #3 world grain exporter; #4 U.S. grain exporter; #5 Argentine grain exporter (8% of market); #1 world exporter of grain to Russia.

Louis Dreyfus operates 47 vessels—bulk carriers, lakers, panamaxes, and chemical and natural gas carriers—worldwide.

Bunge and Born: #1 U.S. dry corn miller (through its subsidiary, Lauhoff Grain) (18% of the market); reportedly #1 Brazilian grain exporter; #2 U.S. soybean products (soymeal and soy oil) exporter; #3 U.S. grain exporter; #3 U.S. soybean processor; #4 world grain exporter; #4 U.S. grain elevator capacity; #7 Argentine grain exporter.

Bunge operates 50 grain elevators in the United States, most of them located along the Mississippi River from St. Louis to New Orleans. It also has a giant grain export elevator in Quebec City, Canada.

Andre: #1 South African grain exporter; #5 world grain trader; #5 or #6 U.S. grain exporter.

Archer-Daniels Midland-Töpfer: #1 U.S. soybean crusher (between 30 and 35% of market); #1 U.S. wet corn miller (approximately 50% of market); #1 world processor of combined grain and oil seed; #1 world producer of ethanol; #1 U.S. producer of corn-based additive (60% of market); #2 U.S. flour miller (23% of market); #2 in U.S. grain elevator capacity; #3 U.S. dry corn miller, through subsidiary Krause Milling (10% of market); #5 or #6 world grain export trader (combined ADM and Töpfer) (9% of market).

ADM/Töpfer makes enough flour every year to bake 16 billion loaves of bread and enough soybean meal to feed 13 billion chickens—twice as many broilers as the United States produces.

ConAgra: #1 U.S. flour miller (24% of market); #1 U.S. sheep slaughterer (33% of market), through Sipco and Montfort meats; #2 U.S. beef slaughterer (20% of market); #2 U.S. pork slaughterer; #4 U.S. dry corn miller (8% of market)

IBP: #1 U.S. beef slaughterer (26% of market); #1 U.S. pork slaughter (12% of market). IBP, the largest butcher in the world, accounts for 9 billion pounds of meat a year, or about 14% of U.S. total. Japan, which consumes half of all U.S. meat exports, is a major market for IBP.

IBP was bought in 1981 by Armand Hammer's Occidental Petroleum Corp. Occidental sold 49.5% of the company in 1987, and the remaining 50.5% of IBP in 1991. FMR Corp. is the holding company for Fidelity Mutual Funds, the largest family of mutual funds in the United States, with over $300 billion in investments. FMR Corp. is run by Boston Brahmin oligarchical families, and owns 13% of IBP's stock.

FMR is also a large owner of raw material cartel companies, including shares of 5% or more in: Homestake Mining, Coeur D'Alene Mines, and Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corp., three of the largest gold-mining companies in the United States.

Nestle: #1 world food company; #1 world trader in dry milk powder; #1 world trader of condensed milk; #1 seller of chocolate and confectionary products; #1 world seller of mineral water; #3 U.S. coffee firm.

In 1994, there were 13 countries in which Nestlé had 1 billion Swiss francs or more in sales; the countries (with sales in billions of Swiss francs in parenthesis): U.S. (SF 12.2); France (SF 6.5); Germany (SF 6.1); U.K. (SF 3.3); Italy (SF 3.2); Japan (SF 3.1); Brazil (SF 2.9); Mexico (SF 1.8); Spain (SF 1.8); Australia (SF 1.1); Switzerland (SF 1.1); the Philippines (SF 1.1); Canada (SF 1.0). Nestlé's has 400 manufacturing facilities on 5 continents.

Unilever: #1 world producer of ice cream; #1 world producer of margarine; one of the top five world exporters of dry milk powder; #1 European tea seller; #2 or #3 world producer of soaps and detergents; one of the top five world crushers of palm oil and palm kernel; one of world's largest producers of olive oil.

Phillip Morris: #2 world food company; #1 U.S. food company (10¢ of every $1 Americans spend on branded food items in the United States is for a Philip Morris/Kraft food product); #1 world processed cheese seller; #1 world cream cheese seller; #1 U.S. seller of luncheon meats; #1 U.S. seller of powdered soft drinks; #1 world cigarette producer; #1 U.S. and Japan cigarette producer (44.8% of U.S. market); #2 U.S. beer brewer, through Miller Brewing; #3 world beer brewer; #3 world confectionery business; #3 U.S. breakfast cereal company (Post cereals).

In the same issue EIR laid out the path of another cartel in “The Windsors' Global Food Cartel: Instrument for Starvation” (http://www.larouchepub.com/other/1995/2249_windsor_food.html) article:
“Ten to twelve pivotal companies, assisted by another three dozen, run the world's food supply. They are the key components of the Anglo-Dutch-Swiss food cartel, which is grouped around Britain's House of Windsor. Led by the six leading grain companies—Cargill, Continental, Louis Dreyfus, Bunge and Born, André, and Archer Daniels Midland/Töpfer—the Windsor-led food and raw materials cartel has complete domination over world cereals and grains supplies, from wheat to corn and oats, from barley to sorghum and rye. But it also controls meat, dairy, edible oils and fats, fruits and vegetables, sugar, and all forms of spices….” (great chart)

Be sure to take a look at LaRouche’s “Cargill and Agro-Cartels Agenda For Globalization and Famine; LaRouche Responds" November 16, 2009 (http://www.larouchepac.com/node/12391) “This week's official pre-meetings for the Nov. 16-18 World Food Security Summit convened in Rome by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, tell in advance why the intended Declaration (a draft is circulating) is a call for more globalization and famine, in the false name of combating hunger! … Lyndon LaRouche said, "It's a fraud! It's a plan to decrease the world's population by two-thirds. It's a desperate effort to keep control for the moment. It's bad bullshit,— that's the only way to describe it. Don't give it any credibility. They are who they are, out for genocide. Don't get excited about it; it's not going to work. A different trend is happening in the world; at this time, the power of London is about to evaporate. London and its friends are about to lose their power." … On Nov. 12-13, FAO Director Jacques Diouf and other FAO officials met with top execs of major agro-cartel companies now dominating world food, farming, and processing, at a forum, "Private Sector Actions to Reduce Food Insecurity," including Paul Naar, Vice President of Cargill; David Blanchard, Senior V.P. of Unilever; Henry Rieux, Bunge, Europe; Dean Oestreich, Chairman of Pioneer Hi-Bred International (DuPont), the world's largest seed company; Sean de Cleene, Vice President, Yara Fertilizer, the world's largest; and many others. Their common theme, as stated in the title of one of the panels, is: "Sustainable Food Value Chains," which is globaloney-talk meaning: the cartels—not governments, not farmers, not citizens—make the decisions from farm to table, on who farms, who eats, and who doesn't. …This year a new entity was formed called the Global Food Initiative, by four leaders of the world food cartel: Monsanto, ADM, DuPont (Pioneer), and John Deere. The purpose of the association is to promote still more globalization and private control over food seeds, processing, farm inputs, trade, and final distribution. …”

In August of 2010 CommodityOnline.com published “Potash cartels and impact on food supply” (http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Potash-cartels-and-impact-on-food-supply-31172-3-1.html): “The hot news now is the BHP Billiton's unsolicited offer to buy Canadian fertilizer company, PotashCorp for $40 bn and PotashCorp taking alternative measures to block the bid. It is not yet clear why fertilizer companies have suddenly become hot favorites for acquisitions and mergers. … A Bloomberg report quaoting experts said that growth in world population necessitates more food production and hence enhanced fertiliser inputs. The global population will swell to 9.1 bn in 2050 from 6.8 bn, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). … “

In a post titled “"Peak Food": Agriculture Cartels, Oil, and Seed Patents” (http://www.oftwominds.com/blogsept09/peak-food09-09.html) in September of 2009 some interesting questions were posed: “… I recently contended that much of household income flows to a handful of cartels How Much of Your Money Goes to Monopolies and Cartels?. The same can be said of the source of most of our food: global agriculture. Correspondent Bart D. (Farm business consultant) recently broke down the production costs for wheat grown in Australia: Further to your work on the proportion of our spending that goes to the big corporations (cartels): I just did a quick analysis of the corporate take in my area of expertise: Farming.
Wheat in a 'high rainfall' area of Australia costs on average $323 per hectare to produce. (This makes a benchmark yield of 3.5 ton of grain) Of that cost of production:
$111 goes to fertilizer. We have a choice of 2 companies.
$66 goes to chemicals. We have a choice of 8 companies but only 4 would hold most of the patents for most of the chemicals. (bayer, syngenta, Dow, dupont)
$65 goes to fuels. We have a choice of 4 companies.
$9 goes to insurance. We have a choice of about 4.
$8 goes to machinery. We have a choice of about 4.
$23 goes to seed (which could be bought from one of about 4 companies producing new varieties and holding plant breeder rights, or it could be on-farm seed from a free variety that is still produced using 80% corporate inputs)
Monsanto and Syngenta are getting scary in this field. They are the leaders in plant breeder rights and see the infinite profit potential in owning the bulk of the world's food genome. Scarier than Peak Oil in my opinion. If they are able to saturate the market with their crop varieties you can be sure there will be built in 'self destruct sequence' that means you MUST buy their seed or have a crop that reverts to weedy grass.
This is the case with many hybrid vegetable varieties already. The seed they produce will not produce good marketable produce the following year ... it throws back to a highly variable plant of different sizes, grades and maturation times, making it difficult to manage and market.
So $259 to $282 or 80% to 87% of costs of wheat production go to multinational companies! The other 13% to 20% goes to small service providers who could probably break their costs down in the same way.
When you consider that chemicals and fertilizers use huge amounts of fuels to produce you can sense that the share of total money flowing in the agricultural sector that stays within the major corporations is very, very high indeed. …”

In December 2010 Bill 510 escaped national attention as citizens were busy tracking other high profile bills. This was a very sad happening. Read “What is the Future of the Small Family Farm? Will New Law Let Them Be Swallowed Up by Large Corporations?" (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6100302/what_is_the_future_of_the_small_family.html) by Walt Crocker: "Bill 510 slid quietly through the congress recently without much fanfare. It could seriously affect how we consume food in this country, all in the name of "national security." It's even been called the “food safety" bill. … The bill could severely restrict the sale of seeds and make most farms (including the small ones) buy their seeds from companies like Monsanto. It would also give the FDA a lot more control over our food supply. It would turn our food over to Homeland Security in the event of an emergency. … Some even go so far as to say that natural and herbal supplements would be outlawed. Some folks believe that the bill will put most of our food supply in the hands of heavily- regulated factory farms. … My question is what will it do to the already beleaguered small family farm? The small family farm was just starting to make a comeback with the new "real foods" movement. Farmer's markets are becoming more and more popular. Was this becoming a threat to the huge food cartels? ... "Is it any wonder that most people are confused about our food system? It's hard to know what a farm is. The factory farm model is one which has produced unsafe food that has no taste, and the small family farms are few and far between. Still, the future of humanity is still as dependent on real farms today as it ever was. We can ignore natural law but we can't ignore the consequences." ... The family farm is a self-sustaining unit, unlike the factory farms which release pollutants into our water and soil. All the waste on a small family farm is returned to the earth. Go to your local farmer's market and buy some eggs. Then compare them to the ones you get at the mega market. You definitely won't mind paying a little more for the fresh family farm eggs...."

As a side note the post titled “7 Mega-Cartels That Kill the Free Market and Our Sovereignty” (http://www.activistpost.com/2010/10/7-mega-cartels-that-kill-free-market.html) dated October 2010 does a good job of explaining the “Cartelism” of America and how it relates to all our necessity to life goods and shadow governments from: Banking, Intelligence, Military, Energy, Food, Medicine, to Media. It is well worth reading even if you do not agree, if you are indeed an independent, free thinker it will be truly thought provoking. “Think we have a free market? Think again. Think it was free market capitalism that collapsed the financial system? Think again. What America has, and what we've had for a long time, is Cartelism. It is becoming increasingly evident that every industry has been infected by "Too-Big-to-Fail" consolidation that has resulted in a near-picture-perfect oligarchy -- a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small segment of society distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, or military control. …”

To gather more detail and view the charts see Food For Thought-Who Controls Our Food? @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/58850015/Food-for-Thought-Who-Controls-Our-Food

"Today is the Tomorrow that you worried about Yesterday"

TNT

Quotients, Quotients & More Quotients

2011-06-20T17:48:00.001-07:00

Just what is a quotient anyway?

According to several dictionaries a Quotient is:

A degree or amount of a specified quality or characteristic
A device used to determine the winner in team competition if a Round-Robin ends in a tie either in won and lost matches, or in Victory Points won and lost. The total number of IMPs won by a team against all Round-Robin opponents is divided by the number lost to determine the quotient.
A result obtained by dividing one quantity by another
The number resulting from the division of one number by another; By analogy, the result of any process that is the inverse of multiplication as defined for any mathematical entities other than numbers; A quotum or quota.
the ratio of two quantities to be divided
the number obtained by division
In mathematics, a quotient is the result of a division. For example, when dividing 6 by 3, the quotient is 2, while 6 is called the dividend, and 3 the divisor. The quotient can also be expressed as the number of times the divisor divides into the dividend.
In mathematics, specifically group theory, a quotient group (or factor group) is a group obtained by identifying together elements of a larger group using an equivalence relation. ...
In topology and related areas of mathematics, a quotient space (also called an identification space) is, intuitively speaking, the result of identifying or "gluing together" certain points of a given space. The points to be identified are specified by an equivalence relation. ...
When performing division, the number of times one value can be multiplied to reach the other value represents the quotient. For example, when dividing 6 by 3, 3 can be multiplied twice, making 6, so the quotient is 2.
The result of mathematical division. The IQ (Intelligence Quotient) is arrived at by dividing the person's mental age (as determined on the Binet test) by the person's chronologic age and multiplying by 100. So if a child scores at the 8-year old level but is only 6, the IQ is 8/6 X 100=125.
The result of dividing two numbers or expressions. For example, the 40 divided by 5 has a quotient of 8. Note: 43 divided by 5 has a quotient of 8 and a remainder of 3.
The answer or number that results when numbers are divided.
The result of mathematical division. The IQ (Intelligence Quotient) is arrived at by dividing the person's mental age (as determined on the Binet test) by the person's chronologic age and multiplying by 100. So if a child scores at the 8-year old level but is only 6, the IQ is 8/6 X 100=125.

When talking about survival, (to me) a Survivability Quotient is:

An elusive figure, containing a multitude of factors or variables, both tangible and not so tangible (including luck), that determines who survives what, why and how. AND most of those variables are OUT of human-kinds realm of control.

As a result, I do not think that there are any really scientific, quantifiable or measurable figures that can be applied to a survival quotient; resulting in nothing but a lot “educated guesses”. So if you are looking for some kind of hard core, error proof formula to determine if you will survive any specific crisis – you are SOL.

This does not mean that we can ignore our Survivability Quotient, nor does it mean that it is totally useless.

When you read “I survived” stories you will soon gather that there a few places where we humans CAN control, or at minimal affect the outcome, of some of those variables that contributed to their survival success. In fact upon studying these stories the few places the survivors did take control turned out to be major factors in their ultimate survival.

With that said let’s look at some of the “quotients” that are often referred to in our lives today.

AQ Adversity Quotient The capacity to respond constructively to difficulties in a broad range of adverse events.
CQ Communication quotient How effective you can communicate with other people.
CQ Courage Quotient How much courage you have before you panic, breakdown, flip out or fall apart.
EQ Experience quotient How much “life experience” (traumatic or otherwise) you have accumulated and been through in comparison with your peers and others around you.
FQ Failure Quotient How much failure you can endure and take before you breakdown and fall apart.
IQ Intelligence Quotient How smart you are.
IQ Intuition Quotient Your gut instincts and 6th senses, how often they are ‘on track’ or not.
LQ Lifestyle Quotient How much time you spend in leisure pursuits vs. work and chores. (Think Type A Personalities vs. the others.)
PQ Persistence Quotient How persistent or over persistent you are. Your tenacity at a task.
PQ Preparedness Quotient How ready and prepared are you for any crisis, disaster or emergency.
PTQ Pain Tolerance Quotient How much pain you can take before you fall apart or pass out. (dah)
RQ Readiness Quotient How prepared are you for any crisis, disaster or emergency.
SQ Survival/Survivability Quotient How strong your survivability is when faced with a crisis (disaster or emergency).
SQ or SSQ Stress Quotient/Stress Survival Quotient How much stress you can take before you collapse, have a heart attack, flip out or shutdown.

As you can see some of these ARE measurable, scientifically and reliably, as well as some abbreviations represent different things and meanings.

Now that we have defined what all these quotients are, it is time to look at what areas of our Survivability Quotient we can favorably influence or take control of.

First and foremost we have to balance some basic human characteristics that will often degrade our Survivability Quotient.

Human Irrational Fears and Sixth Senses VS Science and Educations Truths and Fallacies
Too Detailed VS Too General
Best Case Scenario VS Worst Case Scenario
We can’t help everyone or everything VS We Want To

In today’s world I have to add:

Money will not buy preparedness or survival
Preparedness and Survival are NOT convenient - There is no short-cut, even though we will undoubtedly look for one
Technology does not equal Preparedness, nor guarantee survival

Human Irrational Fears and Sixth Senses VS Science and Educations Truths and Fallacies

We humans are so full of contradictions that we often fail to recognize, yet alone take control of them and we are so bombarded with the wildly metaphysical that we often discredit it without thinking. On top of this we humans often forget that our sciences and therefore education are still in their infant stages in regards to how long they have been in existence. They have been known to be wrong many times in the past and in some cases mega wrong. We humans are error prone and therefore our sciences and education is error prone.

How many law officers and soldiers say they are alive because of some gut instinct or “the hairs on my neck warned me”?
How many mothers claim “women’s intuition” as the reason they went to check on a child or walked away from their car?
How many years did it take for science to figure out that a dinosaur in a major museum was made up of bones from multiple dinosaurs and multiple species of dinosaur?
How long did scholars teach that the world was flat, or that yes earth is round but the universe revolves around planet earth?
How long did we “blood let” instead of utilize blood transfusion?

According to Paul T. P. Wong in his article Intuition: The best kept secret for survival and success; there are different types of intuition and the most successful people in the world are these "intuitives"; from Warren Buffet, Gary Kasparov and Wayne Gretzky to Richard Feynman. Some of the types of intuition are:

Primitive instincts of self-preservation, such as the flight-or-fight syndrome, avoidance responses, pleasure-seeking and instinctive responses to reduce primary needs, such as food, water and safety.
Conditioned emotional responses, which range from fear, aversion, suspicion, attraction, and attachment.
Bodily intuition includes messages about bodily needs and conditions. Medical intuitives such as Schulz and Northrup (1999) emphasize the need to use intuition to decode these somatic messages in order to maintain and enhance our health and well-being.
Mystical intuition encompasses a wide variety of subjective experiences, such as spiritual guidance, inner light, psychic intuition, fortune telling, prophetic insight, detecting energy fields, and ESP. Is this related to spiritual intelligence?
Interpersonal intuition refers to the ability to pick up clues about relationships. It also includes the capacity for empathy and character judgment. It is clearly related to emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1995). The proverbial women’s intuition is mainly confined to this area.
Practical intuition – in solving everyday problems, the capacity of anticipating the problem and finding the best solution, quickly and effortlessly. This type of intuition may be related to practical intelligence (Sternberg, 1997) and fluid intelligence (Cattell, 1987).
Expertise intuition is domain-specific and it is closely related to expert knowledge and critical insight. This ability of “thinking without thinking” (Gladwell, 2005) cannot be easily disentangled from special talents in any given field.

In preparedness we cannot afford to ignore our irrational fears, our gut instincts or just accept what the sciences and educators say. We have to balance all of these factors when determining just what crises we want to prepare for.

Too Detailed VS Too General

We humans have a tendency to look for the easiest, cheapest, fastest way to do just about anything. Yes we are all basically lazy. If a subject or project interests us we are so enthused that we often put too much detail into it. We overburden those around us with the details. Yet if it is something we are concerned, or dare I say afraid of, we will often avoid it or at best put too little detail into that subject.

In preparedness we need to put the detail into what concerns us the most and what we know the least about to facilitate surviving the crisis at hand.

Best Case Scenario VS Worst Case Scenario

If we humans don’t like an option or possible scenario we tend to ignore and focus on the best possible outcome. On top of this we often overestimate what we can and cannot do.

We don’t want to have to vacate our homes or consider that we may have to be mobile just to get home and we most certainly don’t want to consider that we may have to be on foot without our precious vehicles to do so.

Where preparedness is concerned we can have a higher survivability quotient if we plan for the worst and hope for the best and underestimate our capabilities and competencies.

It is far easier and quicker to adjust a plan or action that is for a worst case scenario to a best case scenario or to realize that we are way more capable and competent than it is to count on the best possibilities and find out we are in the worst of scenarios.

We can’t help everyone or everything VS We Want To

We humans just love helping people; we don’t like to think about all those “walking the line” situations where we may have to consider refusing to help someone or some animal. The reality of this is that I have yet to find a single instance where any entity (with singular or plural humans) was able to help everyone, under every circumstance – ALL the time.

Are you truly willing to risk your life to run back into a burning building to attempt to rescue an animal?
Will you accept the danger of running out of food for your family to feed additional people or stray pets that may stumble upon you?
Just how willing are you to put your life on the line for a stranger or unknown pet?

Since Reaction Time can make or break our Survivability Quotient, it is imperative that we address these kinds of questions before a crisis hits. There will be no time during or immediately after a crisis situation to do this and keep our Survivability Quotient high.

Money will not buy preparedness or survival

When we humans take on preparedness, one of our first inclinations is to run out and buy everything on some list. Once we obtain all this stuff we almost immediately store it someplace and then forget about it.

If you have a compass and don’t know how to use it – what good is it?
You may own a rifle and may even be accurate with it on the range, but if you have never hunted, dressed and preserved your kill – what good is it?
If you have 2 years worth of preparedness supplies (food, water, medications, etc.) but never touch them for 15 years and then there is a crisis – how nutritional and viable are they?
If you have some kind of two-way radio but never use, don’t even know what kind it is or whom you will contact with it – how good is it?

“Stuff” alone will not make us prepared nor can it save us. We have to not only know how to use it, we have to practice using it.

Preparedness and Survival are NOT Convenient - There is no short-cut, even though we will undoubtedly look for one

In today’s world we humans are addicted to convenience; it feeds our lazy streak and the vision of our self-importance, as well as our lust for self-indulgence.

Look at all the “use and toss” stuff we have around us and all the “instant on” devices and remote controls we surround ourselves with.
How often do we purchase something that we know we already possess but don’t want to take the time to find, cause it is far quicker to just drive to Wal-Mart and get another one?
All the while we will be complaining that we don’t have enough time or money to get or do this or that.

To be truly prepared and to have the highest survivability quotient, it will NOT be convenient. It will require time, effort, soul searching, money and effort or should I say WORK.

Technology does NOT equal Preparedness, nor guarantee Survival

Most of the technology in today’s world is electrical. It needs electricity in order to work. Yet there a ton of crises out there, both natural and human-made, that can take out electricity and for an extended period of time. On top of this our electrical GRID is so old (physically) that it doesn’t take much as it is to short the dang thing out.

You can have battery operated PC’s, radios, lights, heat and the like but without a way to maintain the battery charge what good are they?
How will you pump gas to keep your vehicle running?
Banks won’t be able to get into their vaults, ATMs won’t work.
Refrigerators and freezers will heat up and thaw.
Phones both cell and landline will not work – 911 will be inaccessible.
GPS and most two-way radios only work if they are in the “line of sight” of a repeater tower or satellite. Without electricity the repeater and microwave towers will be silent. At least one potential global electrical event can take out the satellites.
TV, AM/FM stations will go off the air. How will you get news?
Newspapers and magazines won’t be able to print and distribute their issues/editions.
You won’t be able to refill your propane tank.
You can have all the precious metal, stock and commodity certificates in the world and you won’t be able to get to them without electricity.
A way too large number of medical devices are useless without electricity.

Since just about ALL of our technological inventions require electricity we can basically count them out. Even those of us with alternative power sources will be hard pressed – as just how many of us have sufficient alternative power?

Second - If you wish to keep your Survivability Quotient high then you will need to balance and take control of these very human traits when you make your Preparedness Plans.

There are tricks to balancing all this stuff and still not feel like you are spinning your wheels:

When it comes to what you can and cannot do and how well you can do it – underestimate
Moderate your irrational fears and 6th sense against science and educations odds. So if something is really scaring you spitless and is sitting in a number one slot of concerns, yet science says the odds are slim, put it no higher than your number 2 slot. Conversely if there is something that scientific odds say are really high but your intuition is saying “not hardly”, bump the scientific odds down a notch. Notice this is not ignoring or blindly following any viewpoint here. Hiding our heads in the sand will only leave the rest of our bod exposed to who knows what unpleasantness.
Put your detail into things you don’t want to address or don’t have much knowledge and skill of.
Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Make sure your preparedness plans and practice drills are for the worst case scenario.
Discuss and soul search all the “unplesantries” first and in depth. Be sure to cover a wide range of scenarios then write this into your plan.
Patience and tenacity will are important partners to accomplishing where you want to be in terms of preparedness. Just because stockpiling is fast and easy, it will do you no good.
Practice makes perfect and repetition is the foundation to learning.
Keep aware of what is going on around you in your neighborhood, town, county, state, country, world and in the universe. Having awareness means that you will “see the writing on the wall” and will take action before others in a pre-crisis environment.
Learn something new as often as possible. Knowledge is power. Knowledge is true wealth.

Here are some additional resources to assist in keeping your Survivability Quotient high:

To help you along with a Household/Individual Preparedness Plan and balancing all those human characteristics see: How to Make a Preparedness Plan That Works & Not Go Broke http://www.scribd.com/doc/50950827/How-to-Make-a-Preparedness-Plan-That-Works-Not-Go-Broke-Ver-6

To test your Readiness Quotient see: What's Your Readiness Quotient? http://www.whatsyourrq.org/ Then download the report of the nationwide survey taken in December of 2006 called Are We Ready? at http://www.whatsyourrq.org/docs/PRI_report.pdf

For a hint to your Survivability Quotient you can take quizzes on specific preparedness/survival topics at: Survival Quiz – A Survival Manual in Disguise http://www.survival-quiz.com

Find out your Lifestyle Quotient at: http://www.ldsemergencyresources.com/lifestyle-quotient/

To keep abreast of the worlds Survival Risk Quotient check out Captain Dave's Survival Risk Quotient at http://www.captaindaves.com/

To keep an eye out on specific types of natural and human-made crises see U.S. Hazard Risk Map Links http://www.scribd.com/doc/50951194/U-S-Hazard-Risk-Map-Links

PS – September is National Preparedness – Are you ready?

TNT

Flag Day - I Pledge Allegiance – American's Creed

2011-06-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

We celebrate the birth of our country on July 4th and our Flag on June 14th. Ever wonder where this annual national holiday came from?

Where did the Pledge of Allegiance come from? What does it mean?

Did you know we have The America's Creed?

Follow the link to learn more and Wear Your Colors Proudly today!

http://www.scribd.com/doc/57846613/Flag-Day-I-Pledge-Allegiance-%E2%80%93-Americans-Creed

TNT