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Saturday, December 22, 2012

Slowing down to enjoy life

Every issue I gear up mentally to write the editorial for the magazine by studying the political and economic issues facing the country. Each issue it gets harder and harder as I get madder and madder at the politicians of both major parties, the ineptness of our government on both the national and local levels, and the seeming depth of the death spiral I envision America as being on. This issue, as I put myself through the same mental torture by trying to write about the many different ways our government lies to us using things like rigged unemployment numbers and phony inflation statistics, I suddenly extended my arm over my desk like a big windshield wiper and swept all the accumulated paperwork onto the floor. I spared my computer. I went out onto my front deck and hit golf balls into the woods for about an hour, then retrieved my Remington 870 shotgun from a rack and disassembled it so I could install a new LED light assembly on the forend. Then I walked my property with two of my five cats following. We visited the big rock that is the grave marker for Molly, my old black lab who recently died, and went on up the 300-yard winding path to the spring that is the source of water for the house. It was one of those Pacific Northwest days when the ocean is still but the storm is gathering. I could see across about 50 miles of awe-inspiring ocean glass. On the way back I visited the chicken house, retrieving several eggs by reaching under an angry hen who pecked my hand. I like being pecked by an angry hen and have tried to persuade my eight-year-old granddaughter, Olga, that she too should not be afraid to reach under the hen when retrieving eggs. When I got back to the house, I called my wife, Lenie, who is the business manager for the magazine, and suggested I take her to dinner. She was delighted. Life can be pleasurable and rewarding if you don't let yourself get overwhelmed by the disturbing news of the day. Sometimes you have to calm down, slow down, and refocus on what is important. It's not a corrupt government that is important, although we must keep an eye on the rascals within it, but our personal world and our families. You cannot spend all your time battling dragons. I've always had a tendency to dwell too much on things. Since my daughter, Annie, took over the editorial side of Backwoods Home Magazine three years ago, she gave me the time to step back and do some fishing, golfing, shooting, and reading. She also gave me my third grandchild, Clara, who has become my good buddy at the office. It can be hard to change an old dog, especially when there are so many dragons that need slaying. But by golly, at age 67 I'm going to try and calm down and enjoy all the pleasant things in my corner of the world. Maybe there's a lesson here for all of us.

Source:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/duffy135.html



 

The Bloody Truth About Serbia's Vampire

Following a recent scare, experts shed light on the enduring myth of the undead.


Garlic sales are up. Wooden crosses are a hot commodity. That can only mean one thing: Vampire on the loose!
But this isn't part of a movie script or book. It's a real-life event in the Serbian town of Zarozje (map), where last month the local council issued a public health warning that the resident vampire, Sava Savanovic, may be on the prowl. (See "Pictures: Toothless 'Vampire' Skeleton Unearthed in Bulgaria.")
The vampire scare was sparked by reports that an old mill where the vampire allegedly lived has collapsed. According to ABC News, the town's mayor, Miodrag Vujetic, said: "People are worried, everybody knows the legend of this vampire and the thought that he is now homeless and looking for somewhere else [to live] and possibly other victims is terrifying ... "
Then again, how frightened should you be of a vampire who, as the story goes, can turn into a butterfly? To find out, we spoke with Mark Collins Jenkins, the author of Vampire Forensics, and forensic archeologist and anthropologist Matteo Borrini.
Is this vampire alert an effort to draw tourists or a modern-day manifestation of ancient superstitions?
MCJ: I have no idea, but I would suspect the former. I would approach the story very warily. Vampire belief might be deeply rooted in the Balkans, but I doubt you'll find any "ancient superstition" even there that hasn't been thoroughly tainted by modern vampire lore. Fangs and blood-drinking are generally not present in the old stories. Victims were usually beaten up or suffocated.
Is it crazy that the town council issued a public health warning?
MCJ: Historically speaking, it's not that crazy. In past centuries, outbreaks of vampire hysteria, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, often coincided with outbreaks of tuberculosis and deadly plagues. Peasants had no other way of explaining why everyone was dropping dead but by blaming it on witches and vampires or other supernatural creatures. In 19th-century New England, tuberculosis wasted entire families, one after another. Superstitious people believed that the first to die was somehow feeding on his surviving family members. (Related: "'Vampire of Venice' Unmasked: Plague Victim & Witch?")
Why did people begin believing in vampires?
MB: Especially between the 16th and 18th centuries, little was known about what happens to the body after death. During plagues and epidemics, mass graves were continually reopened to bury new dead. People sometimes exhumed the bodies of the diseased to look for possible causes. Reports about vampires describe exhumations weeks or months after death, during the body's decay.
MCJ: Bodies weren't embalmed back then. They rot, to be quite frank, in grossly different ways. If a bunch of people in the village started dying in mysterious ways, they'd dig up the first one to die, see that his corpse didn't look quite right, assume that was blood flowing down those cheeks (it's called purge fluid in modern forensics, a natural byproduct of decomposition, but it's not blood), and generally burn the body. End of vampire.
Savanovic supposedly survived in spirit as a butterfly. Are there other twists on the classic vampire story?
MB: Sometimes it was thought that the body turned into a wolf or dog because near the grave of the vampire, there were footsteps of these animals. Actually, the earth had been disturbed by stray and hungry dogs attracted by the smell of the decomposing body.
Why is garlic anathema to vampires?
MCJ: People used to believe that strong-smelling stuff like garlic was apotropaic, meaning able to ward off evil spirits. But the specific garlic-vampire connection was popularized by 19th and 20th century novels and movies. A kind of [Romany] vampire, for example, is instead deterred by burning turmeric. Garlic won't bother them.
How do modern interpretations of vampires differ from older ones?
MB: Ancient reports speak about vampires as bloated corpses of ordinary people with blood around the mouth. In the movies, the dead are charming, seductive, often aristocratic, or with superhuman powers.
MCJ: The modern fascination with vampires is fueled by books and movies. Since the early 19th century, that has turned on illicit romance. Forbidden love. It was somehow thrilling to cross the line and love a vampire, or to be seduced by one. Hardly any of that is in the folklore, though. (See: "Vampire Expert Digs His Fangs Into 'True Blood,' 'Twilight.'")
Has there ever been any proof that a vampire existed?
MB: No. All the old reports about vampires talk about real events and real exhumation of bodies of suspected vampires. But they are misinterpretations of the transformative phenomena of corpses: Every exhumed vampire was actually a normal, decomposing body.
Why does this belief in vampires hang on?
MCJ: Fear of the dead. The same reason that people, deep down, are still afraid of ghosts. A vampire is a dead body brought back to life, so to speak, perhaps by the devil or an evil spirit.
MB: I think it's connected to two deep aspects of human thought: death and blood. Death is our inevitable destiny. Blood is our life fluid. The vampire connects these two aspects in a paradoxical way—it is a corpse who escapes death by drinking blood.

Source:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121217-vampire-serbia-supernatural-garlic-fangs-science-weird/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20121220news-vampireserbia&utm_campaign=Content








Friday, December 21, 2012

The Survival Doctor Medical Supply List


Great Information...Click For larger View



Sources:
http://homesteadsurvival.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-survival-doctor-medical-supply-list.html

http://prepforshtf.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/SurvivalDoctorInfoLG.jpg





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How To Make "Oxiclean", Laundry Detergent & Fabric Softener

How To Make "Oxiclean", Laundry Detergent & Fabric Softener






How To Make Glass Cleaner

Homemade Glass Cleaner

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of breathing in toxic fumes and wearing rubber gloves when I clean. After realizing how many toxic chemicals are in commercial cleaning products, I'm on a mission to make my own. I've been amazed at how simple it is.

Homemade glass cleaner is the first homemade cleaning product I've tackled and I couldn't be happier with it. I looked at A LOT of glass cleaner recipes online until I found this winner at crunchybetty.com. I'm glad I chose it because it works just as great as Crunchy Betty claims it does. I think her exact words were, "It makes your mirrors look like they were just born."

Homemade Glass Cleaner1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp corn starch
2 cups distilled, filtered, or boiled water

I decided to use distilled water instead of tap water because our water is really hard. Hard water and cleaning just aren't a good combination. (I can't wait for the day I can get a water softener!) Combine everything in a spray bottle and shake well. Also shake before using because the cornstarch will settle to the bottom.
Now let's talk money. How much did it cost me to make up this whole bottle of glass cleaner?

$0.12 Rubbing Alcohol
$0.04 Vinegar
$0.12 Distilled Water
$0.17 Corn Starch
$0.45 Grand Total

Beat that, Windex!


Sources:
http://www.herbsandoilsworld.com/non-toxic-glass-cleaner/
http://www.ourhomemadehappiness.com/2012/02/homemade-glass-cleaner.html




Kaboom

Thursday, December 20, 2012

EDITORIAL: An Attack on ‘Some Guns’ is an Attack on all Gun-owners

Before I begin this article I want to say that as a father of a young son only a couple of years away from starting school my deepest and heartfelt condolences go out to the families of those who have lost their lives in Newtown, Connecticut. As a father I know the unending love of a small child and the wonder in their eyes at all things great and small, and cannot imagine having that taken away from me. You have my sympathy and prayers.

Wag the doggun

On December 14th in Newtown, Connecticut so many lives were cut short in an act of unspeakable evil the likes of which we have not seen in this country before.  A shooter, whose name I will never mention, whose photo I will never post in my articles, and whose motive we may never understand decided to take the lives of twenty young children and seven adults before he cowardly ended his own. Yet as dangerous and horrendous as the act was, what has been allowed to transpire with blinding speed in the immediate aftermath of this tragedy continues to frighten me and, for the life of me, I don’t understand how you can call for new gun control measures or dump a Fortune 500 company before all the facts of the case are even known.
Beneath a hailstorm of speculation just as the barest of facts were beginning to solidify about this case, there were calls to action from politicians, promising moves against guns and seizing this sensitive moment away from people who need it the most, the real victims of this shooting. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was among the first who called for action stating:
“With all the carnage from gun violence in our country, it’s still almost impossible to believe that a mass shooting in a kindergarten class could happen. It has come to that. Not even kindergarteners learning their ABCs are safe. We heard after Columbine that it was too soon to talk about gun laws. We heard it after Virginia Tech. After Tucson and Aurora and Oak Creek. And now we are hearing it again. For every day we wait, 34 more people are murdered with guns. Today, many of them were five-year olds.
President Obama rightly sent his heartfelt condolences to the families in Newtown. But the country needs him to send a bill to Congress to fix this problem. Calling for ‘meaningful action’ is not enough. We need immediate action. We have heard all the rhetoric before. What we have not seen is leadership – not from the White House and not from Congress. That must end today. This is a national tragedy and it demands a national response. My deepest sympathies are with the families of all those affected, and my determination to stop this madness is stronger than ever.”.....Read More HERE






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Obama to send Congress gun proposals in January


Obama to send Congress gun proposals in January
WASHINGTON (AP) — Declaring the time for action overdue, President Barack Obama promised on Wednesday to send Congress broad proposals in January for tightening gun laws and curbing violence after last week's schoolhouse massacre in Connecticut.
Even before those proposals are drafted, Obama pressed lawmakers to reinstate a ban on military-style assault weapons, close loopholes that allow gun buyers to skirt background checks and restrict high-capacity ammunition clips.
"The fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing," Obama said in his most detailed comments on guns since Friday's killing of 20 schoolchildren and six adults in Newtown, Conn. "The fact that we can't prevent every act of violence doesn't mean we can't steadily reduce the violence."
Gun control measures have faced fierce resistance in Congress for years but that may be changing now because of last week's violence. Since then, Obama has signaled for the first time in his presidency that he's willing to spend political capital on the issue and some prominent gun-rights advocates on Capitol Hill — Democrats and Republicans alike — have expressed willingness to consider new measures.
Still, given the long history of opposition to tighter gun laws, there is no certainty the legislation Obama backed Wednesday or the proposals he will send to Congress next month will become law.
Obama tasked Vice President Joe Biden, a longtime gun control advocate, with overseeing the administration-wide process to create those proposals. Beyond firearms' restrictions, officials will also look for ways to increase mental health resources and consider steps to keep society from glamorizing guns and violence.
Obama's January deadline underscores the desire among White House officials to respond swiftly to the Newtown shooting. Obama aides worry that as the shock of the shooting fades, so, too, will the prospects that pro-gun lawmakers will work with the White House to tighten restrictions.
"I would hope that our memories aren't so short that what we saw in Newtown isn't lingering with us, that we don't remain passionate about it only a month later," said Obama. He pledged to talk about gun violence in his State of the Union address.
Emphasizing the need to take action, Obama said eight people have been killed by guns across the U.S. since the Newtown shooting. Among them were a 4-year-old boy and three law enforcement officers.
The president has called for a national dialogue on gun violence before, after other mass shootings during his presidency. But his rhetoric has not been backed up with concrete action. And some of the gun measures Obama has signed lessened restrictions on guns, allowing people to carry concealed weapons in national parks and in checked bags on Amtrak trains
The president bristled at suggestions that he had been silent on gun issues during his four years in office. But he acknowledged that the Newtown shooting had been "a wake-up call for all of us."
The shooting appears to have had a similar impact on several longtime gun backers on Capitol Hill. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat and avid hunter, has said "everything should be on the table" as Washington looks to prevent another tragedy, as has 10-term House Republican Jack Kingston of Georgia
There was little response from Republicans Wednesday following Obama's statements. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent who has been sharply critical of the president's lack of action on gun issues, called the effort a step in the right direction.
Obama, seeking to ease the fears of gun owners, reiterated his support for the Second Amendment. And he said no effort to reduce gun violence would be successful without their participation.
"I am also betting that the majority, the vast majority, of responsible law-abiding gun owners would be some of the first to say that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few from buying a weapon of war," he said.
He also challenged the National Rifle Association to do "some self-reflection." The gun lobby is a powerful political force, particularly in Republican primaries, and previously has worked to unseat lawmakers who back gun control measures.
The NRA, in its first statements since the shooting, pledged Tuesday to offer "meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again."
The Biden-led task force will also explore ways to improve mental health resources and address ways to create a culture that doesn't promote violence. The departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, along with outside groups and lawmakers, will all be part of the process.
Biden will start his discussions Thursday when he meets with law enforcement officers from around the country. He'll be joined by Attorney General Eric Holder, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Biden's prominent role could be an asset for the White House in getting gun legislation through Congress. The vice president spent decades in the Senate and has been called on by Obama before to use his long-standing relationships with lawmakers to build support for White House measures.
The vice president also brings to the effort a long history of working on gun control issues, having chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and leading the original effort to ban assault weapons. The ban expired in 2004, but Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., says she plans to bring it back for a vote early next year.
Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gkVW32eabNWnbxtgMR0HzaUHF7hw?docId=359eba56eb7545ffbc98846245478a07





The End Of The World

Well Said


Tomorrow 12/21/2012, is what some believe to be the end of the world. I am not one of those people. There are many beliefs that surround the end of the Mayan calendar which I will not bore you with. In short, I am sure life for most of us will continue for many years past tomorrow. However, I do believe that tomorrow is a day to be extra prepared. This world is full of crazies looking to make a name for themselves, as we saw with the tragic event in Newtown last week.

Just in my area, I have seen reports of numerous schools being shutdown because of bomb threats or threats of violence. I know many more people that are calling off of work or pulling their children out of school tomorrow because of a peaked level of paranoia. I don't blame these people quite honestly. When it comes to survival you can't go wrong with trusting your instincts.

So don't expect fire to rain down upon the Earth tomorrow. But do expect more violent acts in public as some people attempt to be a news story. If you can stay within the security of your home tomorrow, I would choose that route. Let's just hope the crazies stay indoors tomorrow as well. Stay safe and keep preparing your family for real disasters!

Still image from the movie - Constantine

Source:
http://preppingtosurvive.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-end-of-world.html?showComment=1356038118442#c1223470287094218507


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To Keep And Bear Arms

Well Said Mr. Jefferson...Well Said.

Will The Anti-Gun Movement Target Preppers?

Will The Anti-Gun Movement After School Massacre Target Preppers?


I have been asked several questions concerning the hideous murders of children and teachers at the Sandy Hill Elementary School and how it affects preppers, with most of these questions relating to the legality, availability and affordability of what the unknowledgable call "assault weapons".

Really doesn't matter what I think as sales and prices of civilian AR's and Kalashnikov models are reportedly up in the same numbers they were when President Obama won his first election.

There is an emotional cry to "do something" about these unpredicable mass murders. That may result in further firearms restrictions, maybe high capacity magazines restrictions, certainly some type of ammunition controls , maybe taxes, maybe tracking of ammunition sales,......anybody's guess on which previously pro-firearms and pro-constitution legislators will roll over and support such measures.

But as far as legislative or executive order decisions affecting the other efforts of preppers or otherwise targeting us as some sort of state threat? I don't think so...at least not in a great degree.  Then lo and behold an article comes out on the internet about "Survivalists worry ‘preppers’ will be scapegoated for Newtown shooting":

Ever since a relative of Newtown, Conn., shooter Adam Lanza suggested that his mother, Nancy Lanza, was a "survivalist" who stockpiled food and weapons, "preppers" have gone online to express concern that they may become targets of unwelcome attention.

"She prepared for the worst," Nancy Lanza's sister-in-law, Marsha Lanza, told reporters last weekend. "Last time we visited her in person, we talked about prepping—are you ready for what could happen down the line, when the economy collapses?"

Preppers, also known as survivalists, have been popularized by the National Geographic reality show "Doomsday Preppers." They range from people who believe the world will end soon to those who want to be better prepared in case a natural disaster hits.

Some preppers pursue "shelter in place" strategies, turning their homes into fortresses and stockpiling food, while others plan to flee their homes when the time comes and survive in the wilderness. Many swap tips and stories on online message boards, where discussions about Nancy Lanza and the possible blowback on preppers from her apparent connection to the community sparked debate over the weekend.

Adam Lanza, 20, is believed to have shot his mother while she slept before driving to a nearby elementary school and killing six adults and 20 children. People who knew Nancy Lanza, 52, and her son have told reporters that she took Adam to shooting ranges and legally owned five guns. It's suspected that three of the guns recovered at the scene of the crime belonged to his mother. On Sunday, the New York Post ran a cover story that seemed to lay blame for the shooting at her feet, titled "Gun-obsessed mom taught murderer son to shoot: Trained to Kill."

One leading prepper, Daisy Luther, was outraged by the cover, and wrote on her blog the Organic Prepper that the media is using the shootings to "demonize" preppers and that the tactic may be a form of "psychological warfare."

"I don’t know why Adam Lanza went on a rampage and killed 26 people last week. But I do know that it wasn’t because his mother was a homeschooling prepper who stored up food and taught him to fire a gun at a paper target," she wrote.

An anonymous poster on the conspiracy website GodlikeProductions also worried that preppers may now become "targets" to blame for the tragedy. "If I was you guys I'd keep any prepper type activities close to the vest," the poster wrote.

Others commented that preppers need to be more careful in keeping their weapons locked away. "I may be out of line (and i know you guys will let me know if i am!) but i am thinking that if i had guns in the same house with a [mentally ill] son, i would have invested in a gun safe and kept the keys on me," wrote one prepper named Peter Simcox on SurvivalistBoards.com. "A good prepper is going to secure the arms almost as a first reponsibility."

Other preppers chimed in to say that it's still unknown how Adam Lanza accessed the weapons in the first place and that they might have been locked away. A friend of the family told NBC's the "Today" show that Nancy Lanza insisted her son use weapons responsibly and taught him to do so when they went to ranges for target practice together.

"Guns require a lot of respect, and she really tried to instill that responsibility within him, and he took to it," friend Russell Hanoman said. "He loved being careful with them. He made it a source of pride."

Source
http://get-urban-survival-skills.blogspot.com/2012/12/will-anti-gun-movement-after-school.html


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The "Feeling" Of Prepping

There are just somethings you really cannot describe when it comes to doing what I do.

There is a certain 'feeling' when you vacumme seal a package of dried blueberries as a special flavoring for later.

There is a certain 'feeling' when there is a snow storm outside, and you really dont care because you have the extra food at home to make your own hot chocolate from dry chocolate mix, dry milk, and hot water, and not panicing like everyone else is.

There is a certain 'feeling' when you're laid up for a while, yet you have pre-made dinners in the freezer, cans of soup in the cupboard and buckets of dry stuff that just takes water to boil.

There is a 'feeling' when you grow your own food, preserve it and eat it yourself.

The 'feeling' you get when you enjoy that small treat that you get yourself every once in a while because you have done really well in prepping and splurged a bit on some candy.

There is a certain 'feeling' when your car breaks down, yet you do not panic because you can either fix it yourself or know someone who can fix it for you.

Personally, I call that a measure of 'freedom and relief'.


Source:
http://wolftavern.blogspot.com/2012/03/feeling-of-prepping.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thewolfden%2Ffeed+%28The+Wolf+Den%29



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Take a break..Do Nothing For 2 Minutes

A Little Fun

Do you have the patience to do nothing for 2 minutes?  Come on, Take a break...

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How To Make A Paracord Watch Band With Buckle

Paracord watchband/bracelet with a side release buckle

This tutorial will show how to make a paracord watchband with a side release buckle using the alternate half-hitch. It can also be made without a watch for use as a paracord bracelet, or on a larger scale as a dog or cat collar. More projects, links, knot references can be seen on my blog page, Stormdrane's Blog.

Instructions for this project can be seen here









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50 Buckles 3/8" (10mm), Mix of 10 Colors (5 of each) Contoured Side-Release. Perfect for Paracord Bracelets.
20 - 3/8" Contoured National Molding Plastic Buckles
Paracord 101: A Beginner's Guide to Paracord Bracelets and Projects

DIY: Make Your Own Hot Tub

It’s not the easiest job, but building your own wood-fired hot tub can save you thousands of dollars if you’re willing to dig a hole and learn some basic concrete skills. Use a shovel and a pickax to dig a pit, making it at least six inches bigger on all sides than the size of the finished tub you want. Be sure to pick a location free of roots or bedrock. Make the hole as deep as you like, but smaller tubs will heat faster. As for the shape, a keyhole design is ideal, since you can place the woodstove safely away from the larger sitting area. Remember to cut benches and steps, too.

Line the pit with plastic sheeting, using roofing nails to tack it into the dirt. Cut sections of two-inch-thick closed-cell insulating foam—available at any home-improvement store—and line the pit, laying the foam on top of the plastic sheet. Hold it in place using chicken wire, which should cover the interior of the tub and anything else you want to make out of concrete.

Get a professional to help you estimate how much concrete you’ll need. Mix the concrete in a wheelbarrow, slathering it onto the chicken wire as smoothly as possible. Start high and work low, since drops will fall to the floor of the tub. Wear gloves. Smooth? Good. Now let it cure for a week. Once it’s cured, paint at least two coats of concrete sealer. (Note: You’ll need to reseal it every year with concrete paint.)

Buy a submergible stove for around $750 (http://snorkel.com) and place it in the narrow part of the keyhole pit. You’ll want to install wood fencing between the stove area and the soaking area to keep people from accidentally bumping into the burner. Though the stove comes with mounting brackets, it’s best to anchor it with dumbbells to keep it from floating.

You’ll need a way to drain the tub. The simplest method is to buy a Quick Drain system—a handheld pump that siphons and vacuums out water ($75; http://hottubessentials.com).

Make an insulating cover out of two-inch closed-cell foam to hold in heat. Fill the tub and stoke the fire at least six hours before your party. The first heating can take closer to 10 hours, depending on the size of the tub. But once the water is warm, it can take as little as six hours to get hot again.

Aaron Huey made a giant wood-fired hot tub a few years ago for some of the best parties that northern New Mexico has ever seen. They involved numerous DJs, a giant golden bull made of fuel-soaked papier-mâché (which burned gloriously), and dozens of naked women.

Source:
http://homesteadsurvival.blogspot.com/

Original Source:
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/how-to/diy-/-maintenance/2009/01/diy-make-your-own-hot-tub





Obama Vows Fast Action in New Push for Gun Control

HERE WE GO......

WASHINGTON — President Obama declared on Wednesday that he would make gun control a “central issue” as he opens his second term, promising to submit broad new firearm proposals to Congress no later than January and to employ the full power of his office to overcome deep-seated political resistance.Leading House Republicans responded to the president’s pledge in the aftermath of the Connecticut school massacre by restating their firm opposition to new limits on guns or ammunition, setting up the possibility of a bitter legislative battle and a philosophical clash over the Second Amendment soon after Mr. Obama’s inauguration.
Having avoided a politically difficult debate over guns for four years, Mr. Obama vowed to restart a national conversation about their role in American society, the need for better access to mental health services and the impact of exceedingly violent images in the nation’s culture.
He warned that the conversation — which has produced little serious change after previous mass shootings — will be a short one, followed by specific legislative proposals that he intends to campaign for, starting with his State of the Union address next month.
“This time, the words need to lead to action,” Mr. Obama said. “I will use all the powers of this office to help advance efforts aimed at preventing more tragedies like this.”
At an appearance in the White House briefing room, the president said that he had directed Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to lead an interagency effort to develop what the White House said would be a multifaceted approach to preventing mass shootings like the one in Newtown, Conn., last week and the many other gun deaths that occur each year.
As evidence of the brutal cost of gun violence, Mr. Obama said that since Friday’s school shooting in Connecticut, guns had led to the deaths of police officers in Memphis and Topeka, Kan.; a woman in Las Vegas; three people in an Alabama hospital; and a 4-year-old in a drive-by shooting in Missouri. They are, he said, victims of “violence that we cannot accept as routine.”
Accompanied by Mr. Biden, the president signaled his support for new limits on high-capacity clips and assault weapons, as well as a desire to close regulatory loopholes affecting gun shows. He promised to confront the broad pro-gun sentiment in Congress that has for years blocked gun control measures.
That opposition shows little signs of fading away. While the death of 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday appears to have persuaded some Democratic lawmakers to support new gun control measures, there has been little indication that Republicans who control the House — and are in a standoff with Mr. Obama over taxes — are willing to accept such restrictions.
House Democrats urged Speaker John A. Boehner on Wednesday to bring a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines to a vote by Saturday — a step he is highly unlikely to take.
Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, an influential conservative leader, said in a statement that “it is clear that criminals will always find ways to acquire weapons and use them to commit acts of violence.”
“Passing more restrictions on law-abiding citizens will not deter this type of crime,” he said.
Mr. Jordan and other House Republicans declined to be interviewed, saying through aides that it was time to mourn, not to debate policy.
“There will be plenty of time to have this conversation,” said Brittany Lesser, a spokeswoman for Representative Steve King, Republican of Iowa, “but it is not amidst the funerals of these brave young children and adults.”
This week, Mr. King told an Iowa radio station, KSCJ, that “political opportunists didn’t wait 24 hours before they decided they were going to go after some kind of a gun ban.” He also expressed doubt about gun control measures, saying, “We all had our cap pistols when I was growing up, and that didn’t seem to cause mass murders in the street.”
Representative Howard Coble, Republican of North Carolina, said in an interview that he thought the talk of gun control was “probably a rush to judgment” that missed the real issue.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The Body Hollow

(As featured in the May 2007 issue of Practically Seeking)

This style of shelter is an easy step up from the most basic idea of burrowing down into a big pile of leaves for warmth or protection from the elements.

Advantages:

  • Quick to construct
  • Will keep you warm and dry
  • Takes far less time and materials than a full-on debris hut.

Disadvantages:

  • Can be tricky to keep water-tight in a heavy rain

Other Uses:

  • Makes a great "hide" or ground blind when hunting with firearms
  • Good short-term cache (for non-food items)
  • Adaptable to a wide variey of terrains and conditions
  • Snug — Needs no other heat source
  • Camouflages very well into the landscape (See how our completed Body Hollow shelter blends into the surrounding area)
Wonder how well this simple shelter would really hold up? Check out our post-Nor'easter pics!

Step-by-step instructions for building this quick, easy-to-construct shelter.

http://www.practicalprimitive.com/skillofthemonth/bodyhollow.html

The Body Hollow shelter blends well into the surrounding landscape










Source:
http://homesteadsurvival.blogspot.com/2012/12/primitive-body-hollow-shelter-for.html


30 Year Old Powdered Milk

     Yesterday, I was given a can of powdered milk that was produced by San Andy about 30 years ago.  Being interested in long-term storage foods I had to open it and do a taste test.
      Now San Andy is a company thats been around for a long time.  I first encountered them in the late 1960’s.  Since then they seem to come and go.
     The can I was given had no damage and appeared to be in good condition.  It was labeled United Commodities International with the words San Andy underneath.  When I went to open the can I noticed it was made of a much heavier gage metal than I currently encounter.  There was no oxygen absorber in the can and it showed on the label that “A stabilized Storage Atmosphere introduced as packed”.
     The contents of the can looked fine, but I noticed a slight odor of rancidity.  It was faint so I mixed some up and taste tested it.  The taste was not bad considering its age.  In an emergency, it could be used.
My friend had several cases of this milk, my recommendations to him were to keep the rest in his storage.  But consider it second rate.  It could be used to help others or to feed animals........

Howard

Source:
http://preparednessadvice.com/uncategorized/30-year-old-powdered-milk/#.UM_30XewYgI





Peak Dry Whole Milk Powder
Nestle Nido Instant Dry Whole Milk Powder, Fortificada, 1.76-Pound Cans (Pack of 2)

School Violence Warning Signs - What To Look For

What to Look For: School Violence Warning Signs

[Editor's note: This article was originally hosted on MyFamilyDoctorMag.com, our sister site.
It's now featured here as part of our new general-health section.]
by Richard Shadick, Ph.D.
Q. How do you know when a troubled young person is in danger of becoming violent?
A. Tragic school shootings in the last few years have made many parents worry whether their kids will be safe at school. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to predict what might happen because there are many different reasons a person may become violent. However, law enforcement officials and mental health professionals have learned from past tragedies.
Red-Flag Characteristics
Most school shooters are males who are isolated, have limited social skills, and have suffered a series of embarrassing or humiliating situations in their life, often involving peers. Being bullied is often a common theme with violent people. They also tend to have problems in relationships with parents, girlfriends and friends.
There are warning signs parents can pay attention to that suggest violence is a real possibility. Things to look out for include an in-depth plan to hurt others that may or may not include a threat, carrying firearms or other weapons, a history of torturing animals, problems with controlling their emotions—particularly anger (which often leads to fighting)—and a high level of drug or alcohol use.
There are other things to consider, particularly if the person’s problems have been present for a while. Often, violent and aggressive people become more and more withdrawn and irritable over time. Sometimes they lose touch with reality and become fearful that others are out to get them. Their appearance may worsen because they don’t care about how they dress or whether they’re showering. They may be intrigued by violence and fascinated by weapons and gangs. Some even join gangs. They may have difficulty acknowledging other peoples’ feelings and may be quick to feel hurt even when there is no provocation.

 SAS Survival Handbook, Revised Edition:
How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics,
Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis
 
What to Do If You See Warning Signs of Violence
Knowing when and what to do if you recognize these issues in someone is a lot easier than knowing when someone will turn violent. The best time to intervene is immediately.
If your child is worried about a student, have them tell someone they trust and who is in a position to help with the concern, such as a school official. In this day and age, virtually all school officials have specific training and follow guidelines about how to help a troubled person. They know how to reach out to the violent student to get him the help he needs.
It is most important that your child not remain silent. This silence is most often how violent people slip through the cracks and don’t get the help they need.
If your child feels in harm’s way it’s best for them not to be near this person. Help your child get some protection or come up with a plan to minimize contact.
Identifying the warning signs and taking immediate action will go a long way to ensuring school is a safer place.

Source
http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com/2012/12/18/school-violence-warning-signs/


To Repair Or Replace?

Saturday, December 8, 2012


To Repair Or Replace?


  We seem to live in a throw away world now days.  We have inexpensive,cheaply built products that for the most part are cheaper to throw out and but a new one than to try to fix them.  I for one can remember the days when if the toaster broke you got out the tools and repaired it.  Yes it might have taken a little time and patients and s little swearing thrown in just for good measure but you could keep an item for more than a year and you also learned how to work on things along the way.
  Knowledge like this was passed from father and mother to their children.  This was also a bonding experience between the two.  I still remember the first time my father had me help him sharpen the blade on the lawn mower.  I felt so empowered by this as though my father was imparting the meaning of life to me and I was the only other one on earth to know it.  My Mom showed me how to sew by hand and to fix things that got torn.  This came in real handy when I went into the Army as most of my Platoon had no idea how to even sew on a button.  I became very popular very quickly.


  I guess where I am really going with this is that we need to start fixing things rather than just throwing them out and go down to Wal-Mart and buying another one just to do the same thing in six months.   Learning the skills that will be necessary some day and having the skill and knowledge to make things work.  Passing them on to the next generation is also very important.  We need to do this before the knowledge is gone and no one remembers how to do them.  I have made a personal commitment to fix things until they are no longer fixable and to then strip the item apart and use it for it's parts.  I have started to show my youngest son how we used to do things and I am surprised by his interest in learning this kind of stuff.  He is 17 and about 6 months ago he sold his computer and has been spending most of his time outside working on things and helping me fix the things that need repair around the house.
  As he told me not to long ago that he needed to learn how to do these things so that he is ready for when he will really need the skills.  I am more than willing to pass on what I know and if I don't know then we go about learning how to do it together.  YouTube is a great resource for this kind of research and we use it all the time. .
Source:
http://prepplace.blogspot.com/2012/12/to-repair-or-replace.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FWTIZW+%28The+Retreat%29





 

Human Zombies Unaware Of Real World

How often have you seen this… head down – in their smartphone – texting – while crossing the street – driving their car – at the dinner table – in a meeting – in the bathroom… ? An apparent human Zombie.
Survival preparedness stems from a combination of risk awareness and a desire to be less reliant on external systems while being more self sufficient. It is a way of life. The lifestyle can easily fit within the modern world while we carry out our business. However, there is something that I’ve noticed for quite some time that I believe is a hindrance to real world awareness. Something that has created a human sub species of Zombies. The following excerpt from a recent ZDNET article spells it out clearly…

You’ve seen these poor, lifeless beings everywhere. People… if you can still call them that… with pallid, emotionless faces, staring down at small screens while they walk direction-less down the street, completely unaware of their surroundings.
Yet these poor souls actually believe they are more “connected” to the outside world and more people than ever.
Sometimes they return to real life, and have real interactions with living human beings, but then this horrible urge kicks in which compels them to pull out their iPhone, their iPad or their Android device. Their PRECIOUS.
They’ll pull it out in the middle of a business meeting while someone else is talking, and they’ll fiddle with it in the bathroom stall at work (or, good heavens, take calls on it and seal deals while on the can).
They’ll pull it out in the middle of dinner with family. They’ll mess with it while everyone is cuddling on the couch, watching TV. And even after satisfying the most basic of human requirements, it still won’t go away. “Oh was it good for you, honey? Great, you nap, I’m gonna play Scramble with Friends.”
If they can think of any inappropriate, awkward time to stare at their little screen and tap on their little itty, bitty keys, they will. Because their PRECIOUS compels them.
And the longer they have their favorite toy turned off or not being used, the greater the urge is to pull it out and use it, as if it has some evil spell cast on them. They must Tweet. They must Status Update. They must Check In. They must Text. They must check for emails. They must. MUST!!!!! EVERY. SINGLE. MINUTE.
They’ve become the 21st-century equivalent of Smeagol. Once, they were human beings. But now they’re Smartphone and Tablet Zombies. They may think they’re connected to more and more people and information than ever, but for these poor creatures, life is just an illusion.

Shut if off. Take some time to discover the REAL WORLD that you actually live in. When TSHTF, your little electronic device is not going to help you. Just a thought…

Source
http://daily-survival.blogspot.com/2012/12/human-zombies-unaware-of-real-world.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FwjrD+%28Daily+Survival%29
Original Article:
http://modernsurvivalblog.com/communications/human-zombies-unaware-of-the-real-world/




Estwing E24A Sportsman's Hatchet Metal Handle
Kershaw Camp Ax
Coleman Red Canyon 17-Foot by 10-Foot 8-Person Modified Dome Tent

The Declaration of Natural Rights

Great Video




Source:
http://americansurvivalistorg.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-declaration-of-natural-rights.html