Brian Shilhavy: You have a choice...

this week is going to be very interesting as "mandates" are coming to a head.

What will you do?

I copied and pasted Brian's entire article without first seeking permission. However, an email request has been sent to him, and from my research, I've determined he is likely more interested in "spreading information" over personal kudos.  Do visit his site and book mark it. 

Brian Shilhavy at Health Impact News:

America: Land of the Slaves and Home of the Cowards – The Entitlement Majority Call Themselves “Victims”

Francis Scott Key penned the words to the song “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the 1800s that would go on to become the “National Anthem” of the United States, and it ends with the words:

The land of the free, and the home of the brave.

I am not sure these words have ever been a true description of life in the United States, but today, here in 2021, those words should read:

The land of the slaves, and the home of the cowards.

I never thought I would live to see the day where most Americans would willingly choose slavery over freedom, and then when their choices did not work out the way they thought, rather than own up to their mistake in making the wrong choice, blame the “opposition” party in government instead, all the while raising their voices to claim “I’m a victim!” believing that somehow they are entitled to certain things from their slave masters.

But that characterizes the United States of America today.

For example, a couple of weeks ago several readers brought to my attention the tragic story of a young mother who took one of the COVID shots and then ended up dying, leaving her small children behind.

It was a tragic, but typical story of the kind we have covered hundreds of times now since the COVID-19 shots were given emergency use authorization back in December of 2020.

But the reason this story gained so much traction and actually made it even into some corporate news sites, is because the obituary was written in such a way to completely blame the COVID-19 shot, and to politicize what happened.

Here is what was written in the obituary of this young mother who was in her 30s:

[The mother’s] greatest passion was to be the best mother possible for [her two children.] Nothing would stand in her way to be present in their lives.

During the last weeks of her life, however, the world turned dark with heavy-handed vaccine mandates. Local and state governments were determined to strip away her right to consult her wisdom and enjoy her freedom.

She had been vehemently opposed to taking the vaccine, knowing she was in good health and of a young age and thus not at risk for serious illness. In her mind, the known and unknown risks of the unproven vaccine were more of a threat.

But, slowly, day by day, her freedom to choose was stripped away. Her passion to be actively involved in her children’s education—which included being a Room Mom—was, once again, blocked by government mandate.

Ultimately, those who closed doors and separated mothers from their children prevailed. It cost [this mom] her life.

I do not mean to be disrespectful at all to this family’s tragic loss, and there are certainly enough criminals to be tried and executed for these horrible crimes in allowing these shots to be made available to the public.

But the government did not cost this woman her life.

The text here makes it very clear that this woman knew the risks, knew that she did not need this shot, but chose to get it anyway, because she wanted to keep using the educational system to educate her children.

THAT choice cost her her life, and now her family is suffering as a result of that choice.

Did she have other choices that she could have made to prevent this from happening?

Yes, she did. She could have pulled her children out of the Satanic school system mandating these shots, and made the choice not to participate.

It may have been the more difficult choice, it may have caused her to be ostracized and criticized by those around her, including maybe some of her own family members. It may have caused her a lot of problems and inconveniences to walk away from the world system that provides education, medical care, and many other “benefits.” It may have even completely changed her life, and left her in poverty.

But ultimately it was her choice, and she rolled the dice and LOST, because she valued the lifestyle that her slave masters were offering her more than refusing the shot.

You ALWAYS have a choice!

Even if things get worse and the military or law enforcement begins going door to door by gun point to force people to get these shots, you still would have a choice: You would have the choice to die free, or live as a slave.

But as we can see with this tragic story, and many thousands of others like her, people are choosing to live as slaves by complying, and then many of them end up dying anyway.

Brian Shilhavy continues his post with True Freedom Comes at a Cost – It is not Free (scroll down to read - it's excellent and mirrors so many of my own thoughts)

And today he posted Are You Prepared to NOT Die This Winter? Time to Pay Attention to the “Preppers” if You Want to Survive  Post includes a 17 minute very important video by a "prepper."  Are terrible things going to happen to the supply chain? Maybe, maybe not. My advice is to quit worrying about Christmas gifts for your little kids and think about staying warm or having food to eat. Honestly, a 4 yo doesn't know the difference  between 3 gifts or 30 gifts. The final advice in the video may be the most important. 

I have not noticed any appreciable shortages around here, but I have witnessed the sometimes massive increases of prices in the grocery store and the gas pumps. With people facing the loss of their jobs, it can be very scary, but with the right attitude you will survive and even flourish.  

And to back up the final words of the "prepper" video, check out what this fine young man has to say. All Christian men should be doing what these fine young men are doing. 

From Bannedvideo: 

When a group of young men at Christendom College in Front Royal, Va all agreed that a serious crisis of masculinity is plaguing the culture, they decided to do something about it. LifeSiteNews Correspondent Jim Hale introduces us to one of those young men, who is also the newest member of the LifeSiteNews TV crew.

Freedom in Reality...

and our reality right now is none too pretty.

Thousands of elderly died as a result of government interference. Most of them died alone without family or ministers/priests in attendance. Others were denied life saving drugs or protocols in an effort to smear Trump. Conservatives are being "cancelled" at a rate conjuring up the image of how the Jews were made scapegoats ushering in the Holocaust. The borders are open, while schools remain closed. We are urged, and in many cases, forced to cover our faces with filthy rags causing us more harm than good. Tens of thousands of small and mid-sized businesses have been destroyed forever. Energy production is halted while Texas suffers and people die. Bill Gates is lionized by the commie/libtards as he continues down his path of destruction of the human race.

I could go on and on with the weirdness our world has devolved into. But, I won't.

Have we lost our minds?

When will we act?

 How long are we going to go along with this bs?

At the rate we're complying we can soon kiss Liberty goodbye.

And now, I must carry on with the duties of my state in life. I suggest you do the same.  What happened in Texas should be a wakeup call for everyone to make some simple preparations for unknown events. 

Something to think about:

The basic rule Christ gives for our lives is the combination of obedience and love that we have seen was the basic rule of his own life and death. Our obedience is the seed, planted in us by grace; love is the fruit of our unions with infinite truth and infinite goodness. There is no servility in the obedience, first, because God is infinite reality, and to be in tune with reality is the essence of freedom; second because God does not force us to obey. We can disobey if we choose: the results of disobedience will be harmful because we have broken away from reality; there is no health in the unreal. Frank Sheed, Christ in Eclipse*

More:

The Organic Prepper: This Diary from the Great Depression Is Like Reading a Modern-Day Newsfeed and  RESILIENCE: Here’s How Prepping HAS to Change

The Organic Prepper: Prepping for a Blizzard: A Practical Survival Guide Also works for hurricanes and other natural weather events.  One thing we don't have is a water main shut off tool. I will fix that this week!

In Praise of Monday...

*Affliate link

James Wesley Rawles: Are we still headed for a collapse? ...

in my opinion? 

 Yes.

Not to spread gloom over the most over-rated meal of the year, but now is not the time to ignore what is going on in the country. 

 In the past I predicted a major collapse in the economy is being planned for after Trump is inaugurated so he can be blamed.  The globalists will stop at nothing to destroy Trump and to protect their interests.

Like most Trump supporters I'm guilty of having breathed easier after the election.  You know that feeling of everything will just fine now.  That's dangerous thinking.  There is only so much Trump can do.  The rest is up to us.

So many of the "prepper" sites push buying gold or silver, diversifying into different currencies, and tweaking stock accounts.  I don't understand the money market, stock market, and the gold market. 

What I do understand is the grocery market.  I "get" cans of tuna, bags of beans, and jugs of water.  I know the price of commodities continue to go up.  My math skills are good enough to inform me that something purchased today for $10.00, which subsequently increases to $15.00, means I've saved $5.00.

Having a well stocked pantry is not scary doomsday silliness.  It's how my mother, and those who came before her, routinely lived.  Mom also had ready cash in her sugar jar for emergencies.  And they didn't carry debt. This is normal.

There are people who are already living off the grid, which is something I have no desire to do.  A hot shower is high on my list of indulgences until they shut off my water .  So is turning on a light vs reading by oil lamp.

My advice for everyone is simple:  get out of debt, have a well stocked pantry, and a reasonable amount of water set aside for an emergency.  It's just the smart thing to do. 





More:

Michael Snyder:  Here It Comes: We’re Being Set Up For Higher Interest Rates, A Major Recession And A Giant Stock Market Crash


 

Let's rewrite history...

1984 has finally arrived and the people are so dumbed down they not only don't understand what is going on, they don't care.

We have elected pukes making a big deal out of retiring the Confederate flag in SC, and they're planning on digging up dead people and moving them. 

MEMPHIS, TN (localmemphis.com)--The Memphis City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to move the remains of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife from Health Sciences Park.

They have been buried in a park on Union Avenue for 110 years.

Council members are also moving ahead with plans to remove the statue of Forrest, and even looking at selling the statue to anyone who wants it. source

 Crime rates are soaring in most major cities, one third of the people in this country are out of work, illegal immigrants are killing our citizens, and all these over-paid politicians are harping about flags and football logos.  Do you see a serious problem?

A Personal Note on Prepping:

Yesterday and the day before, we experienced power outages lasting about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  It didn't take long to realize, once again, how dependent we are on our power.  Last week I had read an article, How to Prep for a Summer Power Outage, by Daisy Luther, over at The Organic Prepper, which was excellent (as all of Daisy's articles are.)

A power outage of a few hours in 98° weather is not too serious.  But after about 24 hours, you can kiss your frozen and refrigerated food buh bye.  A winter power outage in North Idaho is no big deal.  Toss the food in a box and stick it on the deck or in a snow bank.  But summer is a problem.   It's one of the reasons I started canning again last year, and concentrated on meat and veggies.  Man does not live on pickles and jelly. 

Daisy also has a fine article on How to Prepare for a Cyber Attack.  I highly recommend both.

On the up-side, our heat wave has broken, it actually rained today, and we're having bacon for breakfast.  Life is good.

More:

Saberpoint:  IN DEFENSE OF NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST, Confederate General and Hero

MOTUS: Requiem for a Flag. And History 

Diogenes Middle Finger:  The New Symbol in the Target of Leftist History Deconstructionist.

 

Glitches abound in the ethernet...

and the stock market shuts down,  planes don't fly, and the Wall Street Journal vanishes.

Sounds mighty fishy to me.

It also points to how dependent we are on the internet.  What would happen if there was a real cyber attack?

For one thing, I wouldn't be doing any shopping as I rely almost exclusively on the internet for most purchases.  On the other hand, I wouldn't be wasting time reading news sites and blogs every day.  Seems like a fair trade, and since I just bought my favorite lipstick online, saving me from a trip to Macy's, I'm set for awhile.

Which brings me to preparedness.  How prepared are you for such a scenario?  No doubt chaos would reign for awhile until people figured out how to run their businesses and daily life without the use of a computer - like in the old days.  Imagine a large company tasked with delivering goods to a grocery store, or UPS trying to deliver packages and having to do actual paperwork - by hand - on paper.  Ouch.  Good grief.  Do they even have paper?

Or how about a power outage?  Electric companies rely on computer-driven info.  How are they going to determine where a problem in the grid is without that info?

Some people are resilient and will figure it all out in time.  But while it's being figured out, will you be able to survive?

Which brings me to some articles that caught my eye this morning about prepping, starting with Preparedness Critics Are History’s Cannon Fodder, by Brandon Smith, over at Alt-Market.

In part of the article he said:

I recently read an article by Joshua Krause over at The Daily Sheeple in which he countered a mainstream hit piece article against preppers titled “Be prepared for Preppers.” The article is itself an immensely disturbed display, first using typical and unimaginative ad hominem arguments to marginalize preppers, then mutating into a treatise on why preppers should all be exterminated.

So, off I went to The Daily Sheeple, where Joshua Krause eviscerates someone named Leslie Anthony for his hit piece on preppers at some site called Pique.  

At that point I had to read Anthony's piece.

O.M.Gosh! 

It's been a long time since I read anything so arrogant and ignorant.  I immediately had the vision of this Anthony creature as a limp-wristed metro-sexual weenie, sitting in a corner coffee house drinking a soy latte, banging away on his lap top, and feeling all smug and superior.  I'll bet he even wears loafers without socks, a deplorable and filthy fashion that should be abolished.

Here's his description of preppers:

Other than religious fundamentalists, tea-partiers and chem-trails believers, one might rightfully ask: Just who are these people? Actually, that's pretty much it. Think uninformed pseudoscience-nerd meets survivalist meets anarchist militia with a touch of DIY and homemaker thrown in (picture Bill Ny, Les Stroud, Red Green and Martha Stewart with swastika tattoos and a schwack of guns — e.g., Idaho Hillbilly)

 Proud to be an Idaho Hillbilly, you jerk.

He goes on to say:

Ah, poor misunderstood dorks. But what else can they expect? Read any of this stuff and you know: few preppers are smarter than a 5th grader, and, at least in the Washington and Oregon Cascades, most often meth-fueled, neo-Christian, anarchist bow-hunters who think they'll outlast the rest of us because they own weapons, wear camo tank tops, and used their welfare cheques to clean Costco out of Kraft Dinner and jerky. They're not only prepared, but actively seeking out disaster, "Bring it on Bitches" being the community's not-so-subtle rallying cry.

Welfare cheques? 

That says it all.  Who the hell spells checks "cheques."

I hope Mr. Anthony is enjoying his 15 minutes in the spotlight.  To catch the eye of hotshots like Alt-Market and The Daily Sheeple is no mean feat.  Me?  I'm just a little guy who thinks people who prep are smarter than 5th graders.

I have a question for you, Mr Anthony.  Who's going to make your soy latte if the grid goes down or even tie your shoelaces?  Oh, wait - not to worry.  You wear loafers without socks.

Let me start by saying that I almost never do this. I hate giving people a hard time for their opinions, even if they’re wildly divergent from my own. But sometimes, people say things that are so baseless and ignorant, they demand a response.
Such is the case with a piece published yesterday at piquenewsmagazine.com, by Leslie Anthony. His article “Be prepared for Preppers” may be one of the most outrageous attempts to smear the prepper community, that I’ve ever seen.
- See more at: http://www.thedailysheeple.com/how-to-properly-debate-a-non-prepper_062015#sthash.NHgbBSSC.dpuf

FCC, Banning Bullets, Shutting Down the DHS, Discrimination, Being Prepared, and a bunch of other random stuff...

because my tabs are full.

FCC now has control of the internet.  And exactly what are we going to do about it?  Nothing.  We have become cowed slaves, and the Republicans are not our friends.

*                       *                   *

Obama to ban bullets by executive action, threatens top-selling AR-15 rifle

Isn't this exactly what was predicted by many people?  You can have all the guns you want, but you can't have any bullets.

In view of the two above items, you may want to read:

The Number One Reason Why Americans Will Not Fight Back Against The New World Order

*                         *                     *

Shutting down the DHS

Let's all suppose the DHS gets shut down tomorrow.  Naturally, the Republicans will be blamed, and the libtards will howl.   Now let's suppose there is a terrorist attack; not that the DHS has managed to stop any so far.  I can hear it now, "The Republicans have blood on their hands."  U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens is unavailable for comment.

*                       *                    * 

 

This is an issue that is certain to cause me to lapse into a red hot rage.  I have numerous tabs devoted to the latest homo-fascist attack against decent people who own private businesses, just trying to live their lives.

She’s soft-spoken, has 23 grandkids, professes love for the gay customer who tried to hire her for his wedding and helped him find another florist when she politely declined (it was Washington’s AG, not the customer, who filed the discrimination complaint against her), and stands to lose her business and possibly her home if the state keeps coming after her for this. There may be more sympathetic spokesmen for religious freedom out there but offhand I can’t imagine one. The polling on whether businesses should be required by law to cater to gay weddings is mixed, but I wonder how long that’ll last if the Stutzman case breaks big nationally.  read the rest

and...

In Oregon, Sweet Cakes owners Aaron and Melissa Klein have already closed their private business and are being victimized by some angry lesbians for not making them a "wedding" cake.  source

And yet.  And yet:

FedEx, a public company, refuses to ship a legal gun making related item essentially putting a small business owner out of business.  How is that okay?   

I believe that all discrimination laws are illegal and unnecessary when applied to a privately owned company.  A business should be allowed to decide who they want to serve.  Period.  If a restaurant owner decides he doesn't want to serve Chinese people, and hangs a sign in his front window barring them entrance, well, so be it.  Market forces will apply quickly to such an occurrence. Don't want to photograph a sham "wedding" between two people of the same sex for whatever reason?  You should not be forced to do so.

This is not a religious issue.  This is a human rights issue.

No one should be forced to serve another person.  I believe that's why we ended slavery.  I don't give a rip if it's about color, religion, or sexual proclivities.  End of rant.

*                      *                    *

What do the following have in common?

• Retailers fret as products languish on ships 
• No Goods For You
•  Act of Vandalism That Cut Internet, Phone Service for Thousands Shows ‘How Dependent We Are’
•  Dangerous, deadly winter storm wreaks havoc from South to New England
• Greece Rejects Bailout Deal – Deadline To Avoid Financial Chaos In Europe Is March 1st

 Knowing how smart my readers are, I'm sure you've guessed what binds these seemingly disparate items together.

If you're not prepared, you're screwed.  It's as simple as that.

Do you have some cash set aside in a safe place in case the terminals at stores or banks are shut down?  How about some water set aside if the power goes out?  Candles? A way to keep warm? Do you have enough food for a week in case of horrible winter weather?  Do you keep your car's gas tank full and some emergency supplies in the trunk like water and protein bars?  Do you have enough money set aside to pay your bills for six months if need be?  

If you answered no to any of those questions, then you need to rethink your priorities.

I'm not trying to present an over-the-top scenario here or engage in scare tactics.  These are just examples of some everyday, and very real possibilities. 

Are you swallowing the lies about the economy...

or being distracted by the latest shiny objects; vaccines and Brian Williams?

We have a lot more important things to worry about than whether some kid has been vaccinated, or Brian Williams told a lie.  The talking heads are always telling lies, so why the outrage?

This morning on Yahoo, there were two articles side by side. I'm only linking to them as a way to keep track of them, and not suggesting you head over and read them.  Once they leave the Yahoo front page, it's very hard to find them again.  One was; This is how Barack Obama wants to be the left’s Ronald Reagan , and it's full of the most egregious crap I've come across in eons.  To sum it up, we're doing better than ever and we, more or less, have Obama to thank.  It touts the "official" government figures, which we all know is a load of cow poo.  The article has gathered up over 10K comments and 99.99% of them are bad.

The one next to it was; US gains 257K jobs, unemployment rate ticks up to 5.7 pct - more egregious crap.  Once again, the comments are scathing.

Meanwhile, this is what President Ribbon Cutter is doing today - on our dime!

Obama Schedule || Friday, February 6, 2015

Posted on February 5, 2015, 10:15 pm by Keith Koffler 

 

10:00 am || Receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
11:35 am || Departs the White House
1:30 pm || Arrives Indianapolis, Indiana
2:15 pm || Delivers remarks and takes questions from students and faculty; Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis
5:05 pm || Departs Indianapolis, Indiana
6:45 pm || Arrives White House
All times Eastern

While German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande fly to Moscow for an emergency meeting with Vladimir Putin over the deteriorating situation in eastern Ukraine, President Ribbon Cutter is flying to Indiana to deliver remarks to a bunch of kids taking remedial English and math.  Is it any wonder the world is laughing at us?  

The following videos are excellent and well worth your time.  Forget about Brian Williams and do something to protect yourself.  Yes, I know they're long, but listen to them anyway.

From X22 (this is their YouTube channel. It has links to the web page)
via 
The Survivalist Blog, whose link and resource page is a cornucopia of great info.







More:

Gallup: The Big Lie: 5.6% Unemployment


SHTF:  Crisis Looms? Global Debt has Swelled By a Massive $57 TRILLION Since 2007: “The figures are as remarkable as they are terrifying”


The Sleuth Journal:  Barack Obama Says That What America Really Needs Is Lots More Debt

Bunkerville:   Obama’s meeting with those Muslims, and what he wanted

Survival Mom: Tight Space Prepping: Make The Most Of The Storage Space You Have

The Blizzard that didn't happen: Still think being prepared is silly?

well, silly me.

The predicted blizzard in New York and New Jersey never happened.  Yet take a gander at the stores when people thought they were going to be inconvenienced for a few days.

Imagine if the inconvenience was to last weeks or even months. Imagine also that the inconvenience did not come with prior warning.

And I totally "get" that many of these people live in small apartments, but that's still no excuse for being so low on staples that standing in line for hours to buy bread becomes a necessity.  Did you know a compact freezer can be purchased for under $200.00?  I understand that a freezer is of no help if the power goes out, but you do what you can do.  The times our power has gone out in the winter, our back deck becomes our fridge.

Not only is there cost associated with the time wasted spent doing that last minute shopping, how about the cost of product?  I just opened up a quart of $1.77 per pound chicken breasts I had canned back in August.  With the addition of some carrots, celery, onions,  zucchini, and a handful of rice, I had a delicious soup post-haste.  

All the following pictures were real-time tweets I found HERE

More:

SHTF Plan:   When Real Disaster Strikes: These Are The People Who Will Loot, Pillage and Kill You For Your Food

Some great prepper sites:

The Survivalist Blog

The Survival Mom

SHTF Blog

The Organic Prepper

Back Door Survival

Survival Blog

and

Bad Blue has a Prepper Page

Is being prepared the same as "prepping"?...

because most people think "preppers" are crazy.

and...

How far are you willing to go to be prepared for an emergency, be it weather, social unrest, or enemy attack?

Since I don't blog anonymously and can be quite easily found, I tend to self-monitor things I say here.

I don't generally advertise anything that I don't think the general public needs to know.  It's sort of like when people on Facebook announce to the world when they're going on vacation, how long they'll be gone, and practically give directions to their homes.  That always strikes me as just plain dumb.

While I realize even anonymous bloggers can be found, people who have ill intent are more likely to go after the low-hanging fruit.  My fruit is hanging so low it's hitting the ground, so I keep most things private.

What got me thinking about this is an article I just read over at SHTF blog by a guest blogger:

“I’ll Come To Your Place When SHTF” – No You Won’t 

Dear Friend:

I love my friends, but I will shoot you if I have to.  I’m serious.  Here’s why.
I tried to persuade you to prepare for what’s coming and, in the process, revealed that to you that I’m preparing.  You realized that I have food, guns, etc., and ended up saying, half kidding but half serious, “I’ll come to your place when SHTF.”

No you won’t.  I will shoot you.  If you threaten me and my family, I will use force to defend against any threat.  And showing up at my place hungry and unprepared is a threat to me.  You will eat my food and use up my medical supplies, generator, firewood, etc.  That’s less of these life-saving things for me and my family.  That’s a threat.

Is this greed on my part?  No.  I will take care of the truly needy – those who cannot take care of themselves.  But you are different.  Very different.  You had plenty of chances to prepare for yourself.
But what did you do?  You spent the weekends watching football, went on expensive vacations, and never made your spouse mad at you with your “crazy” ideas that something bad was happening.  You didn’t do shit because… you would just come to my place.  Problem solved, right?  You didn’t need to spend time, money, and create domestic strife because I did that all for you.

Not.  Why should I spend my time, money, and stress just so you can waltz into my place and live happily ever after?  I’m a nice guy, but – really? – I’m going to spend my (very limited) free time, disposable income, and domestic tranquility just so you can have a leisurely life and more material comforts pre-Collapse while I don’t?

Read the rest HERE and then come back and comment.  I'll wait right here.


We don't consider ourselves "preppers" in the sense the MSM would like you to think preppers are like.  You know the meme of crazy people building bunkers out in the piney woods, stockpiling 10 years worth of food, and having enough ammunition to start WWIII.   We sort of believe that if things get that bad, all that sort of prepping will not do you much good anyway.

We do, however, have some water put away, a nice pantry, a bit of freeze dried food, a wood stove for heat and cooking, and an adequate supply of defensive measures.  Blizzard coming?  Not a problem.  Electricity off?  Not a problem - at least for a few months.  After that?  Not good.

But, we also have great faith that some of the people of this country will reorganize quite quickly.  The rest will perish.  If you doubt this, harken back to Katrina and the vision of people who were crammed into a stadium defecating any and everywhere with not one person stepping up to help maintain any semblance of order.  

We're doing the things our parents did as a matter of routine.  Having a pantry and extra batteries, a hand crank radio, and some water is not extreme.  Could you survive for a year if a medical emergency hit your family?  My dad had a very serious neck surgery when I was just a baby, and was out of commission for a year.  I heard my mom often say that if it wasn't for her pantry they would have been in a world of hurt.

 We also have some neighbors who are prepared, which is a good thing.  Other neighbors are not at all prepared and not to be trusted in the event of an emergency, which is a bad thing. Would I do as the writer of the above article I linked?  I don't know.  Check back after a scary event and I'll let you know.

I started out with two questions, both of which I'm interested in hearing the answers to:

1. Is being prepared the same as prepping?
2. How far are you willing to go to be prepared for an emergency?

More:

Frank and Fern:  Wakey! Wakey! The Wolf Is At The Door

The Organic Prepper (Daisy Luther):  Forget Doom and Gloom: Preparedness is the Ultimate Act of Optimism

The Sleuth Journal (Daisy Luther):  How To Be A Prepper…But Not One Of Those Crazy Ones  (a must read!) 

Has Judge Jeanine Pirro become a prepper?...

 The Threat of ISIS is Very Close to Home 

"It's time for us to come together and take the threat seriously." 
 

The "elderly" and prepping...

depends on your definition of "elderly."

A few weeks ago one of my co-workers used the word "elderly" and sort of included me in the definition.

 I started to laugh and said, "Whoa, did you just call me elderly?"

He's 59, but looks much younger.  I'll soon to be 69 and look much younger.  So exactly how did I qualify as "elderly."

Way too often we see people referred to as elderly who certainly don't qualify because when all is said and done, "elderly", in my opinion, is a state of mind, not a chronological age.

I see people in the store where I work who are in their nineties and don't yet qualify for elderly.  I also see people who are in their fifties or sixties who, if you looked up the word "elderly", you would see their picture next to the definition.

The following article was submitted to the Survivalist Blog's non-fiction writing contest by a young lady in her middle sixties.  She refers to herself as elderly.  Really?  She has more spunk than even I can conjure up - and I'm pretty spunky.

I wish she was my next door neighbor.


 “Being Elderly and Living Alone Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Be A Good Prepper! ” 

As a woman in her middle sixties, I’ve always been frugal. We baby boomers were raised to be frugal by parents who were born and raised during the depression era. Our mothers taught us early how to cook with what we had, usually fresh from the farm. If we didn’t live on a farm, we had a relative who owned one and we visited them often, learning the ways of that kind of life style.

We were taught how to can the food we raised and we were taught how to make butter, milk cows, ring a chicken’s neck and prepare it for eating or freezing. We were taught how to plant gardens, how to control insects and what to eat for any illness that came our way.

Our mothers also taught us to sew and mend our clothing. They also taught us the value of wearing things until they couldn’t be mended anymore. Even then, we used them for rags for cleaning one thing or another or cut them up to make warm quilts. We were taught to reuse and re-purpose just about everything we had.

As each new day brings another threat to our survival, I have begun to accept the possibility that we who are currently in our sixties could possibly live another twenty or twenty five years. Some of us will live even longer. With the threat of some kind of disaster taking place in our lifetime or in the future, we, as older adults can utilize what our mothers taught us all those years ago. It got me thinking about how much we really do know about survival.  read the rest

More:

Preppers Checklist : 10 Things To Do Now! (be sure and read the comments)

also

Preppers Survival Gear List : Ten MORE Things To Do Now

Are You Prepared for Civil Unrest and Martial Law?...

watching the happenings in Ferguson should be a wake-up call.

From: Daisy Luther:

Lessons From Ferguson: Prepping For Civil Unrest And Martial Law

Any prepared and informed person knows that the threat isn’t always the event itself, which could be anything from a natural disaster to a rioting spree after a sporting event to an economic collapse. It’s the chaos during the aftermath of the event.

If you ever had any doubts about that statement, you need look no further than Ferguson, Missouri.

A few days ago, Governor Jay Nixon called in the National Guard.

Martial law has officially arrived in Ferguson.

Of course, this only makes it official. The past week has shown a militarized police force driving around in tanks, wearing body armor, and brutally responding to citizens. Martial law was already there and the Constitution was already suspended.  Nixon just made it official.

This is just the icing on the chaos cupcake, however. It all started a week ago when a police officer shot a black suspect.  Suddenly, amidst  cries of “racism”  an absolute breakdown of society occurred within 24 hours of the shooting.  People no longer governed themselves according to laws and morals.  Store owners were forced to arm themselves to protect their businesses from a mob that looted with all of the joyful abandon of a lottery winner on a shopping spree.  Cops responded, but were vastly outnumbered. Whether these officers were originally vicious individuals or whether fear of the mob mentality made them brutal, their responses were harsh and ruthless.

This article isn’t a debate on right vs. wrong. It isn’t about whether Michael Brown deserved to be shot or whether he was an innocent victim. It isn’t about the race of the looters, the cops, or the residents of Ferguson. It isn’t even about the Constitutional rights that are being ground under the heels of boots. I’m not getting into any of that.

It’s about watching and learning from the events in Ferguson, because this type of chaos could be coming to a city near you. When society breaks down, it nearly always follows a distinct path.  The main variable is how quickly the situation devolves.  read the rest

It's canning season and some prepper advice...

 I can't handle any more politics right now.

It's also going to be very hot today and tomorrow - close to 100 degrees, so I must get my outside work done early.

First batch of canning stuff:  sweet banana with cherry peppers and carrots.  My personal favorite?  Pickled beets.  Hubby hates beets.  No, really.  He'd rather dive into a pool of razor blades then be forced to eat a beet, so all those lovely beets are mine - all mine!  I'll probably make up another batch since my boss loves beets as much as I do.

Wealth

So much better than store bought

Beautiful color!

Simple water canner

After a lengthy discussion with the produce manager at the store where I work, I decided to buy another pressure canner.

He said that veggie prices were going to skyrocket this winter and veggies need to be pressure canned.  I'm also going to branch out into canning meat, since my freezer is packed.

I used to own a whoop-te-doo All American Canner.  They run over $300.00 for the large one.  I decided to sell it on ebay and managed to recoup my initial investment.

This time, I've opted for a simpler Presto canner - $80.00 from Wally World. It has 576 reviews and 470 of them are five star, 90 four star, with only 4 one star.  Works for me!  The reviews on Amazon are just as impressive. 

It holds 7 quart jars, 20 pint jars, or 24 half-pint jars.  I plan on canning chicken in pint jars and figure I will save about $1.50 per pound.  Each pint jar should hold about one pound which means I'll be almost half way to paying off the canner the first time I use it.

While our government is fond of telling you that things are wonderful, it's a lie.  I'm a careful and thrifty shopper and know my prices.  When I see prices jump one or two dollars per item, that is very alarming.  And I see that happening a lot.

Anything you can add to your pantry is better than money in the bank, since none of the banks are paying any sort of interest.  Indeed - some banks are charging you to keep your money in their bank.

It's a new world we're living in.

Patrice Lewis, who blogs at Rural Revolution and writes for World Net Daily, lives just south of us in the Palouse of Idaho.  She has wonderful advice on canning.  Give her a visit.

While I'm canning, I'll also be reflecting on how the president is spending his time.

The Sacrificin’ Never Ends

Guest Post: M.D. Creekmore: If You Don’t Put Together Your 72 Hour Survival Kit Now You’ll Hate Yourself Later!...

M.D. Creekmore, of the very popular "The Survivalist Blog",  has gifted us with one of his most popular posts on being prepared - and we thank him.

If You Don’t Put Together Your 72 Hour Survival Kit Now You’ll Hate Yourself Later!

This short modified excerpt is from my book 31 Days to Survival - this would also make a good bug out bag packing list, with a few modifications…

As with any “prepping shopping list” you’ll need to tailor the suggestions listed below to meet your specific needs, skills, location and circumstances – no such shopping list can cover the needs of everyone in every situation, everywhere.

The items listed below make up what is commonly referred to as a basic 72 hour kit and is where you should start your preps. In the following days, we’ll build and expand your stockpile to the point where you will be prepared for both short-term and disasters lasting six months or more.

Now let’s head to your local shopping mall or department store.

Here is your 72 hour kit shopping list:

1. A three-day supply of water – one gallon of water per person, per day.
2. A three-day supply of non-perishable food - foods ready to eat or requiring minimal water are preferred.
3. Small portable, battery-powered AM/FM radio extra batteries.
4. Flashlight and extra batteries (don’t skimp here get a good quality light)
5. First aid kit and manual.
6. Personal hygiene items including toilet paper, feminine supplies, hand sanitizer and soap,
7. Toothbrush and toothpaste etc.
8. Matches and waterproof container.
9. Battery powered lantern and batteries
10. Whistle
11. Extra clothing according to climate and season.
12. Kitchen accessories and cooking utensils, styrofoam plates and bowls and a manual can opener.
13. Special needs items, such as prescription medications, eye glasses, contact lens, and hearing aid batteries etc.
14. Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers.
15. Sleeping bag or warm blanket (one per person) rating depending on location and climate.
16. A multi-tool. A roll of duct tape, crowbar, hammer, staple gun, adjustable wrench and Bungee cords and heavy duty work gloves are also nice to have, but add extra weight.
17. Small bottle of unscented liquid household bleach and an eyedropper for water purification.
18. Plastic sheeting, duct tape and utility knife for covering broken windows or sheltering in place.
19. Large heavy duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket for waste and sanitation or other suitable solution.
20. A small multi-fuel backpackers stove (Colman makes a quality product).
21.  N95 Respirator for each person in your group (2 or more).
22. 100’ of rope (550lb paracord or similar)

It’s also a good idea to have photocopies of credit and identification cards, health insurance and other important documents in a water proof container and $100 in emergency cash in small denominations. Also don’t forget photos of family members and pets for re-identification purposes if you get separated.

You’ll also need to put together a list of emergency and personal contact phone numbers as well as a complete list of allergies to any drug (especially antibiotics) or food for each person.

It’s also a good idea to have an extra set of keys to your house and vehicle.

How to pack and store your 72 hour kit

Remember, the 72 hour kit may also serve as an evacuation kit so it all needs to be stored in easy to move containers. You want to be able to “grab and go” should you be forced to evacuate your home.
I prefer to “double pack” – first neatly pack everything in duffel bags or backpacks the store these in plastic totes making it easy to quickly load everything into your car while still having the option of slitting up the gear among your group if you’re forced to evacuate on foot.

 Bug Out Bag List 101: How to Determine the Essentials, Contents, and Gear that you Need  

  

Today’s assignment is to put together your 72 hour survival kit and or bug out bag… This kit will provide what you need to survive 95% of disasters and is a great starting point to building your preps.

Now get to it… What do you think?

The Top 8 Reasons You Need a Possum Mentality to Survive What’s Coming...

from Survival Sherpa.

By Todd Walker

When times are good, abundance flows like sweet treats from Willie Wonka’s Chocolate factory. Thinking that this river of abundance will never dry up is, as Willie Wonka sang, Pure Imagination.

Entire nations have experienced hyperinflation, severe shortages, and even collapse. In every crisis (personal, local, or national), we all need to adopt a Possum Mentality when things go south.
I know the animal’s official name is opossum, but possum just rolls off my southern tongue with ease.

It doesn’t matter if you’re so broke that you can’t pay attention, middle class, or living in luxury’s lap, you too can learn from North America’s only marsupial.

Both of my parents passed down the possum mentality to me and my siblings. They taught us to figure out a way to get the job done with whatever resources were available.

My mom was raised in a two bedroom house with 9 siblings. They raised their own food. Clothing and shoes were passed down and worn out. Papa V (my grandfather) drove from Texas to Georgia with a milk cow in the back seat of his car. He made a cow diaper from a burlap feed sack to get the bovine home. Now that’s resourceful – I don’t care where you’re from! Got milk?

In honor of my parents – and all our past generations that survived and thrived by adopting a possum mentality – here are my top 8 reasons you need a Possum Mentality…

READ THE REST

Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Blizzards, Floods, and Zombie attacks...

are you prepared?

Stuff happens.  Stuff happens more often than you may think. And stuff can happen to you.  Rational people are prepared to the best of their abilities.

Can you go one week without a source of water?  How about two, three, or four weeks without water?

You can survive three or four weeks without food, but only about three or four days without water.  So what happens when the diet soda is gone from the fridge?

If it's winter you could melt snow.  Not very clean and a whole bunch of work.  Live within walking distance to flowing water such as a river?  Not much fun either.

We're not hardcore "preppers."  But we have set aside a small area in our barn for dehydrated food and have acquired long term water storage.

Our choice for water is the H2O Reserve™ Emergency Water Storage System by Shelf Reliance and Seychelle.

Includes:

20 – 5 gallon H2O Reserve Bladders and Boxes
1 – Pump with Standard Filter (100 gallon capacity)
1 – Replacement Standard Filter (100 gallon capacity)
2 – Filter cap adapters

We chose this system because of our cold winters and having to store the water in the barn.  If it were to freeze, hauling in a 5 gallon box is a lot easier than a 50 gallon barrel which would weigh 417 lbs. 

Just fill with your tap water and with the added addition of 1 tsp of chlorine bleach per 5 gallons for a bit of extra safety it should be stable for 5 years.

 The rule of thumb is to store at least one gallon per person per day.  This simple system supplies our two-person household with about 50 days of water.  We also keep five or six packs of Costco bottled drinking water.  Each pack has 32 bottles with 16.9 oz per bottle so each pack is close to another 5 gallons.  Bottled water can be stored for a year, but we drink the water to keep it rotated.    

The cost on Amazon for the H2O Reserve System is $177.98 plus $22.95 shipping.

Ignore the lone one star review on Amazon, which gave me my laugh for the day. 

Boxes and bags and no water!, September 12, 2013

By 

j caprio - See all my reviews

No water. Just the bags and boxes. I was misled. It should be more clear. It's cheaper at the store cosco.

Seriously?  Yep, it is cheaper at the store "cosco", but there's still no water.  Idiot.  What exactly did he think the shipping on 800 lbs of water would be?

One answer to his review was:

J Caprio; You are a dunce. You should not be allowed to breed. 

I'd say that sums it up pretty well.  

We bought ours online from Costco for $149.99 which included shipping.  That's a difference of $50.94 from Amazon which would pay for your Costco membership.  If you don't have a Costco membership, maybe it's time to get one.  They have developed a very extensive online catalog for those who don't live close to a warehouse.

When I worked at the downtown Spokane store, we had many people who drove hundreds of miles to shop several times per year.  It can be worth your time and money.

What if you live in an apartment or teeny tiny house?

How about going in with a few friends to buy the  H2O Reserve System?  Even in a small apartment, you can use a box of water as an end table, or a couple for a coffee table disguised with a tablecloth.  Stick one in the closet and, voila - you have four to five boxes of water stored.

Don't forget about your bathtub either.  An average bathtub holds between thirty to sixty gallons of water.  But, would you want to drink it?

The waterBOB Emergency Drinking Water Storage (100 Gallons) is a nifty plastic bladder that fits in your bathtub and fills from the tap.  It has a pump included to access the water.  We plan on adding two of these to our stash.  NB:  This is a one-time use item, but at a cost of $18.90, it's well worth it.

However, a reviewer on Amazon said this about the waterBOB:

This is a must have for anyone worried about losing power and water. I live in Florida and during a hurricane I used mine. We went without power and water for a week. This water bladder really saved our bacon! We did not have to wait in a water line at the fire station like so many others. I keep reading people saying this is a one time use item. I rinsed the inside out with organic apple vinegar and spring water and then used a shop vac to dry the inside of mine. There has been no mildew or foul odors I would use it again with confidence.

 My garden calls...

More:

Preppers are becoming mainstream...

60 Emergency Supplies You Can Buy for a Buck