Drug resistant TB in United States

We plan for the worst in disasters but we don't often think of diseases, especially TB.

TB is making a comeback, only now there are new strains of the disease that are drug resistant. This has occurred from the fluid transfer of people from other nations to the United States from third world countries and countries high in HIV and other serious diseases. Most people with HIV end up dieing from TB. Now there is a strain that is anti-biotic resistant.

How can we prepare against this type of problem? It is airborne and TB germs can float and last several hours in a room after a person has entered and either coughed, spoken or sneezed. Air transportation poses a problem as people are breathing the same unfiltered air for a several hour flight. A mask might help but it is impractical that we will give up our freedom on a flight by wearing a mask the entire flight.

Typically the poor and those who are HIV positive are carriers of TB. A person with TB will infect an average of more than ten to 15 others annually before they die.

Tuberculosis is the top single killer of adults worldwide, and it lies dormant in one and three people, according to WHO (the World Health Organization). Of those, 10 percent will develop active TB, and about 2 million people a year will die from it.

I do not have the solid definitive answer on how to not contract TB. It appears that not engaging in risky behavior such as illegal drugs and multiple sex partners would have to be a given because these behaviors place you at higher risk for HIV.
Next, I would say that if you are planning on doing any traveling to other countries that you seriously consider using a mask while traveling both to and from. Thirdly, I would reduce the amount of time you are exposed to people that have a hacking cough, including reducing the amount of time spent in ghettos and high risk areas such as bars and nightclubs.

Finally I would recommend that you maintain good health by regular checkups and should you actually contract the dreaded disease, do not panic...take all of your medications, without sharing and cutting yourself short. You may or may not have a resistant variety of TB. If you do have a resistant variety, isolation in a TB sanatorium may be necessary with avoidance of other people part of the treatment.

Since it's first discovery in 2007, resistant TB has spread world wide and may be the next epidemic. Let's pray it does not spread as did the Pandemic FLU virus.

So far, numbers in the US are small and not a serious threat, but just imagine a crowded air flight with a seriously sick individual could put the nation on alert.

It is not like we can stock up on antibiotics since these are prescription drugs. We are at the mercy of staying aware of our surroundings and our associates. Staying healthy may be our best defense. When our immune systems are down we are more prone to infections and viruses and germs. So use common sense and stay vigilant and take good care of your family members.

For more information: see MSNBC news article on, "First case of extremely drug-resistant TB in U.S."

Merry Christmas

I wish you all a Merry Christmas. It is important that we not forget the reason for the season. Christ's entire life was about being prepared, giving and setting a good example. He stands ready to still give to us as we seek him.

The gifts we give and receive are way down the list from the importance of giving of our own time, talents and service to our family and friends. May we all spend more quality time with each member of our families as this is what Christmas time is really all about.

After Christmas sales are a good time to spend more quality time gathering our family together to be prepared physically for the hard times that lie ahead. Let them know how much you care by sharing goals and plans for a better tomorrow. Plan family time into 2010. Spend at least a couple of days per week with family. They do not care how much you know about preparedness until they know how much you really care about them as a family, and when you include them in the preparation phase of being ready for any disaster, they will feel more a part of the real needs and reasons for preparedness.

The areas we need to all be concerned about are food, light, heat, shelter, clothing, communications, water, fuel and financial security. Budgeting these items makes things workout for the best. Absolutely nothing beats being prepared physically, emotionally and spiritually. These three give us balance in life.

May 2010 be a great year for you and yours. May God bless America and may God bless the readers of this blog and their preparedness efforts.

MS-13: Are you prepared against organized evil?

Source: http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/

This is another great article on being prepared for organized gang activity (by Kellene Bishop).

Author’s Note: Most of this content was posted earlier this year. However, news as of late has caused us to tweak the story and re-post it.

As I’ve shared with you previously, I’m not one who is keen on the phrase “Emergency Preparedness.” I believe in preparedness, pure and simple, and thus being self-reliant. Whether it be today or in the future as the result of some social breakdown, I feel that it’s important to understand what organized evil exists out there so that you can make an educated decision as to how you will defend yourself. I’m speaking specifically of the highly organized and militant gangs here in the U.S.

Keep in mind that whether it’s today or tomorrow, dealing with gangs is something we have to do whether we like it or not. For some they are simply a prophetic fulfillment of the “latter days.” For others they are a force that’s to be reckoned with by “someone else.” And to others they are simply something we see portrayed on television. Unfortunately though, the presence of gangs and their unthinkable violence is very real. And yes, they’ve even infiltrated a city near you. One of the very worst of these modern replications of organized crime groups is MS-13.

MS-13 is not an obscure gang. In fact, the FBI defines them as the most organized crime entity in the U.S. They are feared not solely because of their horrific violent acts, but due to their organization. They specifically target middle and high schools for recruitments. They have no compunction towards committing violent acts upon their fellow citizens, as they fear no repercussions. Their greatest criminal focuses are on human and drug trafficking, and contract killing combined with unspeakable violence. A crime will never be committed by one of these members without it being accompanied by a beating, a rape, murder, dismemberment, or all of the above. They also have known ties and alliances to Al-Queda.

MS-13 is otherwise known as Mara Salvatrucha. Visual evidence of their presence in your area will be manifested by graffiti in your area that says “MS,” “Mara,” or “MS-13.”

Their violent organized traits stem from the fact that the majority of their founders are well trained in guerilla warfare in El Salvador. As such they possess a level of methodical training and skill set that rivals any other gang. Their initiation requirements are bloodcurdling. After enduring a slow 13 count beating—minimum—the inductee must then commit a violent act by either a beating, a rape, or a murder prior to being accepted. If the inductee fails in their efforts within 13 hours, then they are murdered in order that the MS-13 does not get marginalized by “incompetents.” (If you are a female inductee, the right of passage would include an obligatory gang rape). The more violent they are, the more elevated they are among their “military” crime group. One MS-13 member claimed during questioning by the FBI, “The crazier you are known to be, the more respect the gang gives you.” On November 26, 2008, Jonathan Retana was convicted of the murder of Miguel Angel Deras, which the authorities linked to an MS-13 initiation.

As further evidence of their organizational skills, there is a unique communication which takes place among them. Gang “signs” are also used by MS-13 including the infamous “devil horns” sign which gang members “throw” to signify their ownership of their turf. (Such sign is also a common communication between members of the Illuminati.) The devil horn sign, when turned upside down, forms the letter “M”. Members also use multiple hand signals to communicate. Known as “stacking”, these signs can be used to indicate their clique or to coordinate an attack. Pulling up on the shoulders of the shirt indicates an imminent attack while rubbing the belly indicates a shooting. A brush on the left shoulder indicates a stabbing attack. One of the defining factors of MS-13 is their absolute intolerance for anyone who informs the police of their activities. Court papers in Nassau County detail recorded telephone conversations where a MS-13 member bragged how he had put a stop to an informant – “I put one in the chest and three in the head.”

Once a member is brought into the gang, they are in for life. They cannot act without the boss’s consent – they cannot kill without reason, cannot talk to the police, cannot skip gang meetings, nor can they leave the gang. MS-13 has no tolerance for gang members who drop out. A MS-13 member and even their family members must die in order to exit MS-13, no exceptions. On May 13, 2006, Ernesto “Smokey” Miranda, an ex-high ranking soldier and one of the founders of the Mara Salvatrucha, was murdered at his home in El Salvador a few hours after declining to attend a party for a gang member who had just been released from prison. Not only had he offended his “brothers” for not attending the party, but he had threatened dissent by studying law and working to keep children out of gangs.

The majority of these gang members are in the country illegally. As such they are deported regularly. Going along with the fact that MS-13 members can’t simply get out, the much reported incident of Edward Guzman, a 14 year old MS-13 member, proves the more significant punishment of deportation. Guzman left Guatemala to escape the gang lifestyle. He illegally came to the U.S. At the age of 16, on March 10, 2004, he was deported back to his home. He hid in his home for several days. His first day to venture out was March 20, 2004. He made it only 5 blocks where he was shot multiple times. MS-13 grudges never die.

Wikipedia mistakenly states that this gang originated in Los Angeles. In fact they originated in El Salvador and were the largest formalize gang there. The gangs then infiltrated the Los Angeles area as it was already rampant with a gang culture. While they originally consisted of Salvadorans, Hondurans, Guatemalans, and Nicaraguans, their desired “market” penetration has forced them to take on any Central American individual who can suitably pass their initiation and subsequent performance requirements. Their targets are indiscriminate so long as they can wreak horror and obedience to their reign in their communities. Case in point, in the minds of an MS-13 member, the term “road rage” means nothing to them. It is their road, and they allow you to drive on it. Obstruction of such rights of passage, means death to the offender. On June 22, 2008, in San Francisco, CA, a 21-year old MS-13 gang member, Edwin Ramos, shot and killed a father, Anthony Bologna, 48, and his two sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, after their car briefly blocked Ramos from completing a left turn down a narrow street.

In spite of their cache of firearms which makes a police force look like a one-man hillbilly stockpile, most MS-13 members are adept and fond of the use of a machete.
MS-13 Photo c/o standeyo.com


They are not a criminal gang so much as they are much more focused on political power. As such they have been ordered to focus on eliminating border patrol guards along the Arizona border as it interferes with their money-making activities. (see: Washington Times article and Daily Bulletin article) In Honduras, MS-13 kidnapped in their home country of El Salvador. They were able to execute a son of the Honduras President Ricardo Maduro after kidnapping and torturing him (1997). All over Central America, their acts of death and defiance are intended to taunt government officials. Members also left a dismembered corpse with a note for the Honduras president that “more people will die… the next victims will be police and journalists.” In 2004, Guatemalan President Oscar Berger received a similar messages attached to the body of a dismembered man from MS-13 members. As such, this gang operates with no fear of government reprisals. Since they were able to sufficiently overcome any such consequences with their own Salvadoran government, every country, state, and community they enter they do so with the same haughty view of the Laws ability to deliver suitable consequences. They do not fear a prison sentence. Rather they return to their gangs upon release as an elevated veteran. Thus there are uninhibited in the horror of their criminal acts.

They have permeated every state in the U.S. sufficiently. Even our nation’s capital holds no resistance for them. In fact, they flaunt the fact that they are the strongest gang in the D.C. area. In northern Virginia and southern Maryland, around the Washington DC area, local authorities estimate MS-13 membership to be between 5,000 and 6,000 members. In July of 2003, the Washington DC area encountered three known murders attributed to MS-13. The first was the murder of a federal informant. The second was the shooting death of a 17 year old boy. The third was the death of a 16 year old boy who had both of his hands completely chopped off.
In Dec. of 2004 in Honduras, a local MS-13 chapter stopped a traveling bus mostly filled with women and children and sprayed it with automatic gunfire. No robbery was attempted. No rape or kidnapping. Simply murder and mayhem which resulted in the death of 28 persons. Their motive was to cause horror in the government as indicated by a note left behind promising the government that more killings of this nature would take place. (A signature threat among MS-13 members.)

So why should YOU be concerned about them? Because they are yet one more aspect of a realistic potential situation for which you need to be prepared. Do not underestimate their violence. You will not be able to reason with them. You will not be able to give them what they want and have them simply go away. Horrific violence is at their very core. You will need to be mindful of them and to defend yourself appropriately. You can be assured that in spite of their organization “skills” they will not be prepared for any type of an emergency scenario, thus they will use their gang to prey upon the preparedness efforts of others. As such, you must indeed be prepared to defend your home, family, and supplies against these modern-day pirates.

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

Cold Weather Fun

With the temperatures dipping into the teens and single digits, it is a good time to remember to use winter rules for warmth such as layering your clothing to hold in body heat; conserving body heat by wearing a hat and gloves; and restricting exercise to avoid sweating which can lower your body temperature; drinking plenty of warm fluids and eat meals of protein which help generate heat for the body core.

Other winter rules have to do with safety such as remembering that fires and open flames consume oxygen and produce carbon monoxide; vehicles need extra traction on ice such as sand or salt or tire chains and studded tires; vehicles are poorly insulated places to take refuge in a storm except to get out of the wind if nothing else is available.

Otherwise, winter is a grand place to have fun and enjoy the quieter peaceful side of life. Campgrounds are near empty or are long abandoned in the winter so crowds are the least of your worries.

Remember to equip your vehicle with winter preparations and extra blankets and clothes for changes of clothing, add extra food, especially cheese and chocolate and meat snacks.

Make sure you only travel on well traveled roads unless you let others know in advance of your itinerary where you are going off road or are planning to take less traveled roads so they know the area you are in and the estimated time you are due back so they can call out the calvary when you fail to show up back home within three hours of your travel plans.

Once you have learned the basic rules of winter, you extend your seasons for being outdoors to year round, instead of hibernating inside your house at home. There is lots to do and lots to see in the winter that you can not find in other seasons so enjoy the adventure.

I just came back from the Lewis River Falls recreation area last week. In the back country I saw two other people and only three vehicles on Thursday which was a very cold day but beautiful. While out we saw some elk and a few small critters, and saw waterfalls and streams that were just simply beautiful. We had the views to ourselves. It was very refreshing to be out and about in the back country. Our state is very beautiful.

I am thankful for living in Washington State. The seasons bring colors and ice-cycles and snow and different views not available when the foliage is on the trees.

We were very prepared with extra food, clothing, a zero degree sleeping bag and both rain and wind protection for just in cases. We had a great time. We did not have to worry about our safety because we were prepared for anything. That saying is true, "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

Enjoy...

J Rawles

I was reading today on SurvivalBlog.com (http://www.survivalblog.com/) It’s always nice to read Rawles and his information. He is like us a prepper and a survivalist but he is also a Pioneer.

Today I read about a man: Minnesota man arrested for trespassing on his own land and just can understand it.

People: You need to prep and get ready for hard times. This is why we have this blog and the American Preppers Network as well as Pioneer Living (http://pioneerliving.net)

I hope all is safe and well for the holidays and I hope America will return to the once great nation it was.

John Milandred

Last Post by: Pioneer Living. Net

This will be my last post for a short time. I thank you for letting me guest here and just to let you know I was born in WA and do miss the rain....lol


This is true Indian Style.

Did you ever wonder why the Indians could travel so light without freezing to death? Or why they only built a small fire?

A small fire was built so they would not attract nor be seen by others, this was for safety and also for another reason. They would only need a small amount of coals from the fire to stay warm.

They would take and dig a small trench about 10 inches deep. Then they would take the coals out of the fire, spread them in the trench, and cover them up with dirt or sand depending on the terrain. They would now spread their canvas or blanket over the trench and lay down in it and pull the end of the canvas and or blanket over themselves.

The warm coals beneath them would keep them warm all night.

Most people today would just build a large fire to stay warm. This could be dangerous for a couple of reasons, you sleep too close your bedding could potentially catch on fire and a large fire means you could be found an easy target for someone who would not hesitate to harm or kill you in order to secure their own survival.

Number 1 investment for 2009

Number 1 investment for 2009? Your answer should be…..”Food”. Hundreds of thousands of Americans and people around the world lost their jobs these past few years. Are you prepared if you suddenly lost your job?

Are you prepared for hard economical times? Are you prepared for a possible natural disaster? Are you prepared should you get sick or hurt and unable to work? Could you feed your family if any of these things were to happen to you? These are questions everyone should be asking themselves.

The majority of Americans are not prepared. They might be able to last a couple of weeks or maybe a month if some type of hardship were to strike them.

Unfortunately, many people feel caught up in a rat race that will not allow a garden or stocking up on food and necessary everyday living supplies. “I don’t have the time”, “I don’t have the room”, “I don’t know how”, I don’t have enough money to do this”, are common excuses for not digging in the dirt, and not planning for the future unknown.

Our grandparents, great-grandparents and those before them would fill their pantries and cellars from harvest to harvest only going to town or the city to purchase small amounts of supplies once a month, or even only a few times a year.

Our ancestors grew most of their own food. Cattle, hogs, chickens, rabbits were butchered. In the Fall brine cured and stored in the cellar. Garden vegetables were canned, root vegetables were buried in the root cellar and garlic, leeks and onions were hung in the cellar to dry. Fruits were preserved as well as berries preserved into jams, jellies and syrups. Our ancestors were prepared for the future unknown.

With all the modern day conveniences available to us today it is easy to get what we want, when we want it but at what cost? How old are the foods you are buying? Where does the food you buy come from? How was it grown, with pesticides? Is the food you buy safe for your family to eat? Will the local grocery store even have the shelves stocked tomorrow? Many studies have been done regarding the benefits of growing and preserving your own food. We would all do well to continue the preparedness practice just as our ancestors did before us.

There are 31 million Americans now on food stamps and probably standing in line at the local food banks so they can feed their families. Have that many people actually forgotten how to care for their families? What happens if the government stops giving out food stamps? What happens when there is no more food donations to your local food bank? It seems the answer for most of these people would be “they would starve.”

It really doesn’t matter whether you live in the city, the suburbs or the country. You can grow part or all of your own fresh nutritional food. It really doesn’t matter if you are a millionaire or a minimum wage worker, you can stock up on necessary food and supplies should you fall on hard times or a disaster hits your area.

Don’t you think it is about time you start gaining the knowledge and put in to practice what our ancestors knew and practiced every day before it is too late? Going back to basics and reclaim your freedom.

There are many resources available for each and every human being to be able to gain the knowledge of basic human survival: Water, Food and Shelter.

In researching several sources it was astounding to me the amount of food it would take for one person to survive for one year. How much does one person eat in a year? “Food for thought” so to speak.

Below is a basic preparedness list of what it would take to feed one person for one year. This list has been compiled from several different sources and can be varied. Just make sure if you substitute an item that you substitute it with comparable nutritional value.
AMOUNT OF FOOD TO STORE FOR ONE YEAR PER ADULT

STAPLES AMOUNT APPROX. SHELF LIFE
Wheat, winter 650 lbs Indefinitely
Unbleached White Flour 120 lbs 1-2 Years
Bulgur Wheat 110 lbs Indefinitely
Whole Kernel Corn or Corn Meal 75 lbs 5 Years
Baking Powder 2 Large Boxes 2 Years
Cornstarch 4 Large Boxes 5 Years
Baking Soda 12 lbs Indefinitely
Oatmeal 25 lbs 5 Years
Honey 2 Gallons Indefinitely
Molasses 1 Gallon Indefinitely
Karo Syrup 1 Gallon Indefinitely
Sugar (Keep Dry) 25 lbs Indefinitely
Brown Sugar (Keep Dry) 12 lbs Indefinitely
Salt 100 lbs Indefinitely
Shortening/Lard 60 lbs 3 Years
Soybean Oil 1 Gallon 3 Years
Peanut Oil 1 Gallon 3 Years
Olive Oil 1 Gallon 3 Years
Coffee 12 Large Cans 3-5 Years
Cocoa 4 Large Boxes 3-5 Years
Spaghetti 10 lbs 5 Years
Macaroni 12 lbs 5 Years
Misc. Noodles 15 lbs 5 Years
Rice, white 15 lbs 5 Years
Rice, brown 15 lbs 6-9 months
PROTEIN
Powdered Milk 100 lbs 2-15 Years
Mixed Nuts 20 lbs 1-2 Years
Peanuts 10 lbs 1-2 Years
Soybeans 20 lbs 5 Years
Pinto Beans 15 lbs 5 Years
Red Beans 10 lbs 5 Years
Navy Beans 10 lbs 5 Years
Large Lima Beans 15 lbs 5 Years
Baby Lima Beans 12 lbs 5 Years
Blackeyed Peas 10 lbs 5 Years
Dried Green Peas 15 lbs 5 Years
Millet Grain 10 lbs 5 Years
Split Peas 15 lbs 5 Years
Mung Beans 15 lbs 5 Years
Alfalfa Seeds - Lentils 15 lbs 5 Years
Garbanzo Beans 12 lbs 5 Years
TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN(Textured soy protein)
Chicken 12 lbs 5 Years
Hamburger 15 lbs 5 Years
Sausage 12 lbs 5 Years
Plain 15 lbs 5 Years
Ham 15 lbs 5 Years
Bacon 12 lbs 5 Years
CANNED FOOD
Peas 10 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Peas and Carrots 10 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Corn 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Green Beans 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Carrots 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Tomatoes 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Spinach 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Pumpkin 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Asparagus 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Turnip Greens 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Mustard Greens 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Collard Greens 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Sauerkraut 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Cabbage 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Cauliflower 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Onions 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Ketchup 12 jars/Bottles 3-5 Years
Relish 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Pickles 12 jars 3-5 Years
Zuccini Squash 12 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Potatoes 12 Jars/cans 3-5 Years
DRIED FOOD - 75% MOISTURE REMOVED
Prunes 12 lbs Indefinitely
Raisins 12 lbs Indefinitely
Apples 12 lbs Indefinitely
Pears 12 lbs Indefinitely
Peaches 12 lbs Indefinitely
Apricots 12 lbs Indefinitely
Blueberries 10 lbs Indefinitely
SPICES & CONDIMENTS
Soup base, beef 3 lbs 2-3 Years
Soup base, chicken 3 lbs 2-3 Years
Granulated garlic 2 lbs 2-3 Years
Granulated onion 1 lb 2-3 Years
Cayanne pepper 3 lbs 2-3 Years
Celery salt 8 oz 2-3 Years
Oregano 8 oz 2-3 Years
Chili powder 8 oz 2-3 Years
Dry mustard 8 oz 2-3 Years
Ginger, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Mace, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Allspice, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Marjoran, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Pickling spice 1 lb 2-3 Years
Pumpkin pie spice 8 oz 2-3 Years
Cinnamon sticks 8 oz 2-3 Years
Cinnamon, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Nutmeg 8 oz 2-3 Years
Sage, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Poultry seasoning 8 oz 2-3 Years
Black Pepper 8 oz 2-3 Years
Parsley Flakes 1 lb 2-3 Years
Bay leaves 8 oz 2-3 Years
Curry Powder 8 oz 2-3 Years
Cloves, Ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Horseradish 8 oz 2-3 Years
Cream of Tarter 4 oz 2-3 Years
Old Hickory smoked salt 8 oz 2-3 Years
Cumin seed, ground 4 oz 2-3 Years
Tarragon leaves 8 oz 2-3 Years
Vanilla beans 8 oz 2-3 Years
Tumeric, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Paprika 1 lb 2-3 Years
Thyme, ground 8 oz 2-3 Years
Rosemary 8 oz 2-3 Years
Maple flavoring 1 pint 2-3 Years
Vanilla flavoring/Extract 1 pint 2-3 Years
Lemon extract 3 oz 2-3 Years
Peppermint flavoring 4 oz 2-3 Years
Almond extract 4 oz 2-3 Years
CANNED JUICE
Tomato 12 Large Cans 3-5 Years
Pineapple 12 Large Cans 3-5 Years
Apple 12 Large Cans 3-5 Years
Grapefruit 12 Large Cans 3-5 Years
CANNED FRUIT
Apples 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Applesauce 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Apricots 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Peaches 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Pears 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Cherries 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Blackberries 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Blueberries 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Strawberries 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
Mixed Fruit 15 jars/cans 3-5 Years
DEHYDRATED FOOD
Cheddar cheese powder 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
Swiss cheese powder 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
Butter powder 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
Peanut butter powder 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
Multi purpose food 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
Egg powder 2-#10 Can Indefinitely
VEGETABLES (dehydrated)
Cut Green Beans 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Diced Beets 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Diced Cabbage 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Diced Celery 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Corn 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Chopped Onions 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Diced Potatoes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Sliced Potatoes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Potato Granules(for mashed) 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Soup blend 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Spinach flakes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Stew blend 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Tomato crystals/flakes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Peas - green garden 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
FRUIT (dehydrated)
Applesauce (plain) 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Apple slices 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Apricot slices 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Banana flakes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Banana slices 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Date slices 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Fruit cocktail 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Fruit mix 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Peach slices 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Prunes, pitted 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Raisins, seedless 1-#10 Can Indefinitely
Tomato flakes 1-#10 Can Indefinitely



Please Note: The above chart is only a recommendation. Again it can vary depending on your families likes and dislikes. We realize the amount of food listed above would cost thousands of dollars, and is a little overwhelming on what it takes to be prepared. You don’t have to purchase your year’s supply all at once, start out by just purchasing a few extra items a week and you will be surprised how fast your emergency food supply will grow. This chart does not include toilet paper, toothpaste, personal care items, water storage or other miscellaneous supplies you would need for basic everyday living. We will discuss these items in detail in our upcoming online magazine issues. Best time to start preparing for the future unknown? “NOW”

Interview with a Survivalist

This was an interview with survivalist/instructor George Smith (AKA Texas Gorge)

PL: WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HAVE NO REFRIDGERATION, SALT OR SMOKE?

George: If you have bad meat and no food and are starving?

PL: Yes

George: At first I would boil the meat for 20 minutes. As the days went by I would make sure to boil the meat for at least an hour.

To boil meat, have a kettle large enough to permit the meat to be entirely covered by the water, and let the water come to a boil before the meat is placed in it. Then let it remain boiling in the kettle for 45 to 60 minutes, which will be long enough to kill the smell, and bacteria. Now rinse meat well.

The meat will taste much better if one takes plenty of time for boiling. Then let it cook on a fire, allowing twelve to fifteen minutes for each pound.

I have done this several times in extreme situations, I ate the meat and not once did I get sick using this method.

PL: What about maggots?

George: Maggots! They are also edible, but not for me, I just picked them off before boiling the meat.

What would you do if you were starving?



Quote:

The poor on the borderline of starvation live purposeful lives. To be engaged in a desperate struggle for food and shelter is to be wholly free from a sense of futility.

Eric Hoffer(1902 - 1983), "The True Believer", 1951

Re-posted by: www.pioneerliving.net

Shelter

In most survival situations, three priorities must be addressed before any other needs are met:

A: Finding or making shelter is the most important because it allows a person to stay protected from the elements.

B: Humans can live for about three days without water. The length of survival mostly depends upon climate conditions and physical exertion.

C: Food is essential for survival. In the winter especially so you have calories to burn, to maintain essential body heat.

These priorities may change depending upon environmental factors.

A shelter will protect one from potentially disastrous weather, help prevent hypothermia, and allow restful sleep. If possible it will need to be set up quickly. You don't want to spend all of you time working on a shelter and take away vital time from other survival steps.

A shelter should provide a somewhat comfortable place to sleep. To this end, it should account for the following:

Immovable rocks, animal nests, and other obstacles and hazards should be avoided.

Dry watercourses may be flat, sandy, and comfortable to sleep on, but they will flood in a storm.



Sunlight will provide warmth (which is not always welcome), and help one to wake up in the morning. However, sunny, open areas are vulnerable to wind.

Heat transfer: an excessively large or well-ventilated shelter will not retain warmth well.

Flashing (weatherproofing) to provide protection from elements.

A cave would be a very useful shelter because it is very resistant to rain water getting in and maintains a constant temperature. Unfortunately, caves can present additional problems such as ground water, dampness and wildlife. Bears also nest in caves, so before selecting a cave to stay in, you should check it for signs of in-habitance.

The simplest and most mobile shelter would be some type of tarp that can be moved easily and supported by make shift frame work or just rope. When this is not available or not suitable to the situation a simple shelter can be constructed using a lattice of branches propped up at an angle against the wind. Large leaves, such as ferns or fir branches, can then be added to create cover for rain and hail. Ferns can also be added on a shelter to provide insect repellent. Branches propped against a fallen tree make a simple and effective shelter, but animals such as ants and snakes may nest under the tree. With some practice, more advanced shelters such as a debris shelter can be constructed without modern tools or implements.

Home Designs And Layout

Home Designs And Layout


In years gone by homesteaders designed and built their own houses, they built their homes with not only the contour of the land in mind but also the seasonal sun, wind, hills, slopes, rain were also other things to consider.

The main house even if it is just a cabin is always the focal point of any site plan, and the first step in designing it is to decide where it will be located.Log Home: In the southeast a log home is well protected by trees against winter winds. To offset the hot, humid character of the region in summer. In the northwest area it is protected by with trees to the north but always facing south to maximize winter solar heating.Adobe Homes: In the southwest has thick walls that offer excellent insulation against incessant heat of the sun.Stone Residence: This home with a large extension and a traditional porch on this style is ideal. Brick or stone is fireproof and mostly maintenance free. The attic helps retain heat, partially compensating for poor insulating ability of stone.Frame Dwellings: In the northwest our energy consciousness. Most windows face south and low sloping rear roof with small windows in back protects against north wind in the winter.Underground Dwelling: Are attracting more and more attention from solar heating experts and others. The temperature at a depth of 10 feet or more is a nearly constant 55 ‘F summer and winter, day and night, in the cold north and the warm south. The great benefits of this is you only need enough energy to raise the indoor temperature by 10 or 15 degrees in order to have a comfortable climate. You can eliminate any dampness or a cave-like atmosphere in this type of dwelling with skylights, dropped garden, and light wells.



Whatever design you use you will need to consider the positioning of your house when building it. Start by planning your structure in the winter months by locating your property, and positioning it in the direction of the winter sun, with the largest and most windows facing it. Let nature do some of the work for you by solar heating.

Note: A passive system is a basic element of the house itself, and it works best when it is planned in advance.

By placing your house in this small way allows the sun’s rays to warm the house in the winter yet blocking the midsummer sun.

Trees planted to the north is also something to consider as this will act as a wind block from the north winds.

Bug's

Repellents are often very effective in deterring pests, thereby protecting crops without having to resort to poisons. Now many gardeners will add a few drops of liquid detergent or 1/3 cup of soap flakes per gallon of any spray to increase the spray’s sticking power and effectiveness. You can also get quite inventive by using house hold items like tar paper which repels cutworms and maggots by its odor. Use 4-inch squares of tar paper laid on the ground, with holes in the centers for the stems to pass through, to protect seedlings from these pests. Aluminum foil laid on the ground has been found to be effective against aphids and squash-vine borers. Copper strips placed around a garden is effective against slugs, and crushed egg shells as well.



Countering The Common Insect Pests

Pest and control:

Aphid: Spray with a diluted solution of soapy water.Cabbage Worm: Dust plant with a mixture of ½ cup salt to 1 cup flour. Potato Beetle: Dust plants with wheat bran while they are wet.Codling Moth: Spray with fish oil, or soapy water.Corn Earworm: Apply mineral oil to the silk just inside the tip of each ear-use a eye dropper. This will repel this worm.Flea Beetle: Dust with wood ashes to repel.Mexican Bean Beetle: Spray with garlic or cedar extract to repel.Thrips: Spray with oil-water mixture.

Home-Made Formulas You Can Make At Home

Soap Spray: Mix ½ cup of Laundry soap to 1 gallon of hot waterThis will kill non furry caterpillars on contact as well as aphids. If used on non-woody plants, rinse off with clear water within 1 minute after applying.

Quassia Spray: Boil ¼ pound of quassia chips in 1 gallon of water for two hours, strain the liquid, and mix with three to five parts water. The spray will kill the aphids and caterpillars but is harmless to our good friends the ladybug and bees.

Garlic and Hot Pepper: Steep ½ teaspoon of crushed garlic and crushed hot peppers in 1 gallon of hot water and let sit for 24 hours. Use at full strength on wood plants, this will also repel mosquitoes; dilute 25 percent for annuals and vegetables. Spray repels many chewing and sucking insects.

Glue Mixture: Dissolve ¼ pound of glue in 1 gallon of warm water. Spray trees and bushes to trap and kill aphids, spider, mites, and scale insects.

Cedar Extract: Boil ¼ pound of cedar chips in 1 gallon of water for 2 hours; strain and dilute the liquid with three parts water; spray on plants to repel beetles.

Buttermilk and Flour: Mix ½ cup buttermilk and 4 cups wheat flour with 5 gallons of water. This will kill mites by suffocation.Note: Homemade sprays tend to be a lot safer than synthetic substances nevertheless, they should be treated with respect. Always wash fruits and vegetables before eating them.

Natural pest control is just part of the balance for the garden or orchard to be healthy. Do not try to eliminate pests completely, since in so doing you would eliminate the food supply of many beneficial insects as well. Try just keeping the number of pests at a minimum so that they do not do serious damage, while at the same time maintaining the predator population that feeds on the pests.

All predators that feed on insect pests should be encouraged in your garden, like garden spiders, lacewing fly, praying mantis, ladybugs, non poisonous snakes, toads, and bats.

Ladybugs and praying mantis eggs are sold by many garden suppliers; both of these insects prey on a variety of common pests.

Rendering Lard

While lard isn't considered a food, it was vital to the cooking process for many years. Here is a brief description of this necessary pioneering activity.

Rendering Lard

"A 225-pound hog will yield about 30 pounds of fat that can be rendered into fine shortening for pastries, biscuits, and frying. The sheet of fat just inside the ribs makes the best quality, snowy-white lard. This “leaf” fat renders most easily, too -- and is ninety percent fat. The “back” fat, a thick layer just under the skin, is almost as good, giving about eighty percent of its weight in lard.

A slow fire and a heavy pot that conducts heat evenly are most important in making lard. Put ¼” of water in the pot to keep the fat from scorching at first. Remove any fibers, lean meat, and bloody spots from the fat, and cut into very small pieces. It’s not necessary to remove pieces of skin, but many people prefer to. Put a shallow layer of fat in the pot. When the first layer of fat has started to melt, add more. Do not fill the kettle to the top -- it can boil over too easily. Stir frequently and keep fire low.

The temperature of the lard will be 212F at first, but as the water evaporates, the temperature will rise. Be forewarned that this will take a long time at low heat and that you must stir the lard frequently to prevent scorching. As the lard renders, the cracklings will float to the surface. When the lard is almost done and the cracklings have lost the rest of their moisture, they will sink to the bottom. At this point turn off the heat and allow the lard to settle and cool slightly. Then carefully dip the liquid off the top into clean containers. Strain the cracklings and residual liquid through cheese cloth. Fill containers to the top -- the lard will contract quite a bit while cooling. Chill as quickly as possible for a fine-grained shortening.

Air, light, and moisture can make lard rancid and sour. So after it has been thoroughly cooled, cover the containers tightly and store them in a dark, cool area.

Campfire building

How to Build a Campfire for Cooking

The object is to have all your wood turn into coals at the same time. This gives an even fire with no flames that could burn your food or blacken your cookware. We prefer to use only cast iron for our campfire cooking as it is the most durable cookware and is almost impossible to ruin. Making sure you have all coals before cooking will yield the longest cooking time from the coals.

Preparing Your Fire Site

* Select a fire site at least 10' from bushes or any combustibles. Be sure no tree branches are hanging over your fire site

* Make a U-shaped perimeter using large rocks or green logs. If using green logs make sure you wet them down from time to time. If it is a windy day, make sure the back of the fire pit faces the wind.

* Place a large flat rock at the rear of the fire pit to act as a chimney. The "chimney rock" will help direct the smoke up and away from your cooking area.



Laying the kindling


* Fill the fire area with crumpled paper or tinder.

* Lay kindling over paper/tinder in layers, alternating direction with each layer. Use thin pieces of wood or small dead branches. Do not put kindling down in a "teepee style". The whole fire area should be covered with the kindling stack.

* Light the paper or tinder to start your fire.



Building the Fire, grading the coals

* When the kindling is ablaze, add you firewood. The wood should be the same size, as much as possible. Use hardwood or hardwood branches if available. Distribute the wood evenly over fire bed.


* As soon as the last flames die down leaving mostly white coals, use a stick or shovel to push the coals into a higher level at the back end of the fire pit and keep a lower level at the front. This will give you “high“, “medium,“ and “low” cook settings. Or, just level the coals to your preference.

Cooking

* To cook, set the grill on rocks or wetted green logs. Put food directly on grill or in cookware and prepare your meal. If cooking directly on the grill, a small spray bottle or squirt gun is handy for shooting down any rogue flames, that is caused by food drippings.


* As the fire diminishes, bank the coals to get the most heat from them.



After cooking, you can add wood for your evening campfire. Before you retire for the evening make sure you extinguish thoroughly with water.

Hi All

Hello All,

My Name is John Milandred one of the founders of Pioneer Living and over the next two weeks I will be sharing with you some of the information on our website at: www.pioneerliving.net

Just a little note today and hope you all like my posts.


The forgotten/lost art of basic human survival. How did our grandparents, great grandparents, and ancestors survive without all the modern conveniences available to us today? Helping humans all over the world with solutions for caring for themselves and their families.

Often when people think about a survivalist, they envision someone who is trained in the outdoors and can survive off the land but a survivalist also stock piles food and possibly weapons to prepare for a disaster and the future unknown. Our ancestors were in reality survivalists.

This was because they were self sufficient, were responsible for one’s own self and family, protection, health, and sustenance as well as shelter.

This is what our ancestors knew and lived every day. They were prepared for what life brings through planning, learning, and preparing for any possible future.

The articles you will find will be focused on simpler times what our ancestors knew and lived every day. From disaster preparedness, extreme wilderness survival, growing and preserving your own nutritious food, foraging for food in the wilderness, water survival, and basic every day living.

Information and solutions to survive our ever changing environment in which we live in today. Solutions for taking back the responsibility of ones own self.

We think that you will be surprised how simple it is, no matter what walk of life you come from, how to get back to basics and in control of your life.

How cold will it be this winter?

It's late fall and the Indians on a remote reservation in South Dakota asked their new chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was a chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky, he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like.

Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared..

But, being a practical leader, after several days, he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, 'Is the coming winter going to be cold?'

'It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold,' the meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared.

A week later, he called the National Weather Service again. 'Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?'

'Yes,' the man at National Weather Service again replied, 'it's going to be a very cold winter.'


The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later, the chief called the National Weather Service again. 'Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?'


'Absolutely,' the man replied. 'It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters we've ever seen.'

'How can you be so sure?' the chief asked.

The weatherman replied, 'The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy.'


Remember this whenever you get advice from a government official!

The 5 best sentences on politics you will ever read!

These are possibly the 5 best sentences on politics you'll ever read.

They should be in every book in every school room in every city in every state in our great Union . Our educators should make a lesson plan on these statements and instill these words in the minds of all students.


*"You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity..”


*”What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.”


*The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.”


*When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation.”


*You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it..."

Warning about the 2010 Census - Do not become a victim!

2010 Census to Begin

WARNING: 2010 Census Cautions from the Better Business Bureau Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers by Susan Johnson

With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau
(BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S.. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S.
Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

** If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.

** Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information.. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.
REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.

While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.

AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION.. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.

Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.org

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFO WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

Dangers of the Alaska Way Viaduct

This last week a release of information was obtained, to be able to make public the video of the potential dangers of the Alaska Way Viaduct, and it's projected earthquake failure, should another earthquake of the 7.0 magnitude occur closer to Seattle.

To view this video go to: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1509319618?bctid=46395517001 or read the article in the Seattle Times and watch the video from there: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010140232_webviaduct26m.html

Some call this video scaremongering. I call engineers expectations of what will likely take place as possibly prophetic based on solid factual information. Am I scared? Yes I am and I look at Seattle differently now after seeing the projected possible damage that could occur, based on facts that are irrefutable.

If watching this video does not make you squeamish for traveling this highway, nothing else will likely do so either. If you live and work in Seattle, just make sure you have extra gear in your vehicle. Especially it will be important to have a 72 to 120 hour survival kit in your vehicle and at your home and at your place of employment. Survival is the key to not being afraid. "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear"

As for me and my family, I will not be using the Alaska Way Viaduct any more. Heck, after seeing this video, I am also worried about the Pikes Place Market and other restaurants and businesses along the Alaska Way Viaduct.

We are only waiting out the clock for when (not if), the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake of 9 to 9.5 hits off the West coast of Washington, Oregon and Northern California. (For more information, read prior postings on the Cascadia Subduction Zone.)

We also need to be concerned about the newly discovered fault lines that are under Seattle that may make Seattle especially prone to major tremor damage.

Dangers of Hand Sanitizers

First we had "huffing", the intentional inhaling of paint or glue. Now this!...

The following situation involving alcohol poisoning actually occurred in 2007, but is making the rounds again. IF you have not read about the dangers of hand sanitizer and small children, it is good information to be aware of. Especially since we almost all have a bottle or two of hand sanitizer sitting around now to help prevent flu viruses from spreading...

The below article was verified at Truth or Fiction at:
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/h/hand-sanitizer.htm, And at Snopes at: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/sanitizer.asp.

This is not a Joke! It should act as a Warning for all schools and parents of small children!

------------------------

"Yesterday, my youngest daughter, Halle who is just 4 years old, was rushed to the ER by her father for being severely lethargic and incoherent in her classroom. My husband was called to her school by the school secretary who said that she was 'VERY, VERY SICK'!
He told me that when he arrived at her classroom, Halle was barely sitting in the chair. She couldn't hold her own head up and when he looked into her eyes, she couldn't focus them.
He immediately scooped her up and rushed her to the closest ER, and then called me. When he got there, they ran blood tests and did x-rays, and ran every test imaginable. Her white blood cell count was normal. Nothing was picked up as being out of the ordinary.
When I arrived at the ER, the doctor there told us that they had done everything that they could do so they were transferring her to Saint Francis Hospital for further tests.
Right as we were leaving in the ambulance, our daughter’s teacher arrived at the ER and told us that after questioning Halle 's classmates, She had found out that our little girl had licked liquid hand sanitizer off of her hands!!!
Hand sanitizer, of all things. But it makes sense. These days they have all kinds of different scents and flavors and when you have a curious child, they are going to put all kinds of things into their mouths.
When we arrived at Saint Francis' Hospital ER, we told the ER Doctor there to check her blood alcohol level, and yes we did get weird looks, but they did it.
The results showed her blood alcohol level was 0.085% -- six hours after we first took her in... There's no telling what it would have been if a blood alcohol test would have been requested at the first ER. (A blood alcohol level of just 0.10% is considered legally drunk in most states.)
Since then, her school and a few surrounding schools have taken liquid hand sanitizers out of all the lower grade classes, but what's to stop middle and high schoolers from ingesting this stuff?
After doing research on the Internet, we found out that it only takes about 3 squirts of the stuff ingested to be fatal to a toddler.
For her blood alcohol level to be so high, it would be like someone her size drinking120 proof liquor.

Please forward this to your local schools and to all of your family and anyone you know that have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or cousins. It doesn't matter what age. This could affect any one of them.

-----------------------------------------------

Very Interesting. Heads up Prepper family members!

Flu Attack! How A Virus Invades Your Body by NPR

For an excellent representation of how a flu virus invades the human body go to:


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114075029

Howard Hanson Dam Danger

After a huge rainstorm last January the Howard Hanson Reservoir on the upper Green River received more water than engineers desired, causing the Corp of Engineers to classify the dam as unsafe. The worry is not that the dam itself may fail, but instead it is because of the abutment on the right side of the dam has begun seeping water (again) and failure of the abutment could be catastrophic.

A similar problem happened with the Teton Dam Disaster, only it resulted in severe flooding and loss of life from the abutment failure.

In the meantime, less water is being stored behind the dam while repairs are being made. If there is another heavy rainstorm however, before the reservoir's repairs are completed, the Corp of Engineers advised they may have to release a large amount of water downstream. This water might flow over the downstream levees, flooding schools, businesses, and homes in Kent, Renton, Auburn and Tukwila. One of the worst case scenarios is possible flooding of the water sewage treatment plant in Kent downstream.

Contractors are working very hard to fix the leak while the Corps of Engineers designs a more permanent fix — like a concrete wall to seal the abutment once and for all, to the cost of many millions of dollars.


There is a high chance of a major flood this fall or winter. Local cities and both King and Pierce counties are hurrying to move critical infrastructure out of the flood plain and are currently doing lots of sandbagging to beef up the levees, and are notifying businesses and the thousands of residents downstream to prepare for the worst.

Keith Ervin, a Seattle Times Staff Reporter, wrote an article entitled, Rush to finish barrier at Howard Hanson Dam before heavy rains on October 5, 2009. He reports that, "Seepage through a dam or abutment isn't necessarily a problem. But if dirt and rock begin to wash away — as may have happened in January — the result could be catastrophic. Failure of the dam would send a wall of water careening toward homes, schools, warehouses and factories. Six cities would flood, from Pacific to Renton, with peak depths of some 20 feet in downtown Auburn."

So, if you live in the lower areas of these cities, seriously consider making preparations for that 'just in case' scenario of flooding evacuation. At a minimum, 1. Go out and purchase home and or business flood insurance, (if it is still available), 2. Purchase a NOAA weather alert radio, and keep it turned on, and 3. Sign up to be on the flood alert phone notification list.

Remember, time will always be short if a failure does occur. Preparation is the only viable answer to protecting life and property.

Jury Duty Scam!

Jury Duty Scam. Pass this on to your grown children too.

This has been verified by the FBI (their link is included below). This scam started in 2006 but is still out there so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator... If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in multiple states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system.

The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud..

Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm Yep! It's true. Please make sure and pass this on.

Car Keys Alarm

This is a good safety tip--please read! It's easy to do!!

Put your car keys beside your bed at night

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbours, your parents,

your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run

across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get

in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will

be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it

off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighbourhood watch coordinator. Next time

you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think

of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have

and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most

everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery

runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.

It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car

alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are

the burglar/rapist won't stick around.

After a few seconds all the neighbours will be looking out their

windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want

that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a

parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something

that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life

or prevent a sexual abuse crime.

September is National Preparedness Month in Washington State

Washington State is observing National Preparedness Month and NOAA Weather Radio Awareness Month this September. Special events and promotions are scheduled across the state to focus individuals and businesses on the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies.

These events include:
· State Capitol Campus Safety and Preparedness Fair, Sept. 11.
· A statewide Drop, Cover and Hold earthquake drill at 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 16.
· Statewide “GETS” Card test on Sept. 24.
· Special retail promotions on Sept. 6 to encourage disaster preparedness and the use of all-hazard weather radios.
“Citizens, companies and governments agencies should review individual preparedness plans, contact information, and emergency kits” so they can be ready in the event of an emergency, said Gov. Chris Gregoire. These actions should enable citizens “to be self-sufficient for a minimum of three days following an act of terrorism, natural or man-made disasters.”

Everyone knows that they need to get prepared but the magnitude of the process can be overwhelming. How can we manage to do it all? Preparedness month information materials including current H1N1 Flu information, Drop, Cover, Hold drill instructions and 72-hour comfort kit fact sheets are all available from the Washington Emergency Management Division web site. The web site also includes a list of additional preparedness events to be held around the state as well a plethora of information to help you prepare for emergencies and disasters.

This website even provides an Action Plan that will help you to take the first steps now and plan to be totally ready in 1 year. Doing something is always better than doing nothing and people with good preparations in place for their home life will always find it easier to manage coming to work or staying at work if a disaster strikes.

A NOAA Weather Radio is an important preparedness tool for all. The radios are personal all-hazard warning systems. They help protect lives and property with a warning alarm feature that activates for immediate life-threatening events such as windstorms, tsunamis and hazardous materials releases. The goal of the Weather Radio campaign is to make All-Hazard Weather Radios as common and necessary as smoke detectors in the home, workplace and classroom. Special retail weather radio promotions will be offered September 26 in multiple locations.

Preparedness is not a new topic and sometimes we may be feeling like we’ve got our own plans and supplies in order and therefore when a disaster strikes all will be well. Most immediate assistance during a disaster comes from citizens themselves as emergency responders will be stretched beyond their ability to be there for all who need them. If you have an interest in being prepared to assist your family and others, the Citizen Corps provides options for you. The Citizen Corps partner programs give citizens the opportunity to get involved and enhance the capabilities of first responders through the use of volunteers. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) educates people about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic response skills.

We’ve given you the tools – it’s now up to you. Are you ready for work today?

Communications

When communications break down, isolation takes place. It does not have to be this way...

When there is a major disaster such as we experienced with the regional disaster in Lewis and other counties with the major flooding in our recent past, one thing became the most important aspect of true survival, that was communications both within, and to the outside world.

This is what happened:

Immediately most phone lines in the disaster areas went down county wide. Our region was overloaded with calls that could not go through in or out because of volume and downed lines.

Cell phones were the next thing to go down. They did not work because the towers were not energized, and without power, there was no signal for most of Lewis County, and other counties hit with the severe flooding.

CB radios tended to work only along the outskirts of the flood area, but had little communication value because of the distances between carriers, vehicles and trucks in the flood zones was greater than two to three miles and there were trees and hills between operators.

FRS (hand held) radios worked only for a short time period and only for short distances - mostly in line of sight - then they started failing because they needed recharging, and they went silent.

By the third day mobile ham units and base station ham units were brought in and became the most reliable and the most constant mode of communications. They coordinated with FEMA, the Red Cross, police, fire, ambulances, emergency crews and thousands of volunteers in dispatching people where they were needed and covering outer lying areas of flood damage.

I strongly agree with FEMA with their encouragement of individuals to volunteer to become ham radio operators in each county where you live. I believe the current ham radio license costs $15.

I attended a volunteer class put on for free (they are available everywhere), and bought the new ham book as a study guide to prepare for my exam. I also went on to the Internet and did quite a few practice exams to help me learn the material. Because I was prepared for the exam, the physical test took me about 30 minutes to take and I passed my exam the first go.

Next was to look for a ham radio after I passed the exam. I ended up purchasing a 2meter mobile ham radio from Ham Radio Outlet in Portland, OR, which I mounted in my SUV.

I based my purchase decision on my desire to communicate with the large LDS networks which have been established for disaster preparedness state wide. They are open to anyone desiring to communicate and provide weekly practice check-in's. There are also many other organizations out there that are available.

To learn more about ham radio, go to the American Radio Relay League site at www.arrl.org
or for information on a radio itself, I have found the people at Ham Radio Outlet to be not only polite but nice people to do business with at (800-854-6046 or www.hamradio.com)

Bill

Do not get lost in cyber space!

Sorry for the 'lost in cyber space' time period of silence. Too much has happened during the last thirty days for me to keep up with blogging.

One recent change in my life was my introduction to the Macintosh for my photography hobby. What a learning curve coming from the PC world to the Apple world. I am especially enjoying a program called Aperture for processing my pictures, but this too turned into a nightmare when projects I had created started disappearing. I do not have a good handle on what went wrong but about one month's worth of editing just seems to have disappeared and I can not locate the folders or files anywhere.

If any of you are Apple Macintosh users and are familiar with Aperture, I would certainly entertain receiving an E-mail off site at photowild@yahoo.com regarding a possible solution. Yes I know from the die hard PC users (which I am still), I needed to learn a lesson out of this somehow. How many ways can I say "backup your data"? Times are coming when multiple backups may save the day, or as in my case, a month of editing...

Bill

SEVERE FIRE WEATHER WARNING!

Source: http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=sew&wwa=red%20flag%20warning

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE - NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 3:48 PM PDT SAT JUL 25 2009...

ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER SETUPS IN YEARS FOR WESTERN WASHINGTON....AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE CENTER CONTINUES TO SPIN OVER CENTRAL WASHINGTON THIS AFTERNOON.

WARNING TO STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AND NORTHWEST INTERIOR LOWLANDS-CENTRAL AND SOUTH PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS-WEST SLOPES OF THE NORTH CASCADES-WEST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES-NORTH CASCADES-CENTRAL CASCADES-EAST PORTION OF THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS-EAST PORTION OF NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK/LAKE CHELAN NATIONALRECREATIONAL AREA

RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM PDT SUNDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE CENTER CONTINUED TO SPIN OVER CENTRAL WASHINGTON ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS HAD ALREADY DEVELOPED OVER SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND WILL MOVE SOUTHWEST INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS THEY TRACK AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER LOW. THE STORMS WILL FIRST REACH THE NORTH CASCADES AND NORTH INTERIOR...THEN SPREAD SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH THIS EVENING THROUGH THE CENTRAL CASCADES AND THE PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS. THUNDERSTORMS COULD ALSO CLIP THE EAST SLOPES OF THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE UNUSUALLY PROLIFIC LIGHTNING PRODUCERS. GIVEN THE EXPECTED ABUNDANCE OF LIGHTNING AND CRITICALLY DRY FUEL STATES...MULTIPLE FIRE IGNITIONS ARE EXPECTED. ONE THING THAT MAKES THIS ROUND OF LIGHTNING SO CRITICAL IS THAT IT WILL BE FOLLOWED UP ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY BY A BUILDING AND PROLONGED HEAT WAVE. UNLIKE WESTERN WASHINGTON`S TYPICALLIGHTNING PATTERN IN WHICH LIGHTNING IS FOLLOWED BY COOL MARINE AIR...THIS LIGHTNING PATTERN WILL BE FOLLOWED INSTEAD BY HOT...DRY AND INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE WEATHER ON SUNDAY...MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THIS WILL MAKE HOLDOVER AND SLEEPER FIRES A GREAT CONCERN IN THE DAYS TO COME.

PLEASE RELAY THIS MESSAGE TO FIRE AND ENGINE CREWS IN THE FIELD. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...PEOPLE WHO WILL BE OUTDOORS FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE LIGHTNING THREAT AND THE ENHANCED THREAT OF WILDFIRES. MAKE AN EXTRA EFFORT TO FULLY EXTINGUISH CAMPFIRES AND REPORT ANY NEW WILD FIRES WHICH YOU MIGHT SEE. FIREFIGHTING AGENCIES SHOULD BE READY FOR SEVERAL BUSY DAYS OF INITIAL ATTACK.

A RED FLAG WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN DRY LIGHTNING OR THECOMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.

WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE

Even More About Physical Preparations

I have been traveling quite a bit this last month and just came back from spending a week in the woods backpacking on the Hoh River Trail.

What a wakeup call for me physically!

I would like to pass along some information that while we are preparing, we need to remember to keep that body of ours in mind. After all, we have nothing if we do not have our health, right?

I mean it is very important to stay physically prepared by also being fit physically. This is accomplished by eating a balanced diet, getting proper rest, and a exercising regularly. IF any of these are out of balance, either too much or too little, we will have a problem when real stress is added to our workload, especially in the case of survival, or else we must sacrifice the quality of our life style and habits to down time.

For me, I have been violating all three: diet, exercise and rest. The results are not pretty - sore feet, sore legs, sore butt, sore stomach, sore back and sore shoulders. As I struggled down the trail, one of my daughter's girl's camp hiking songs came to memory and brought me a smile, where they would sing cadence while backpacking, "My back aches, my belt's too tight, my hips shake from left to right, left,...left,...left, right,...left!" As they sang they would do all the motions of left to right hip movements and then kick their left legs up in the air. It was quite funny then. Still funny now!

Also, remember, when you get older, you must take into consideration the amount of load you are carrying both around your middle as well as what you have in your backpack because the combination of increased weight all bears down on your feet, legs, back, etc...

Also, the intensity of your activity, including the distance you are going to travel adds into the factors of how well you will do. If you push the envelope like I did with a very heavy backpack, with poor physical conditioning, you have a formula for disaster or at best a very sore body.

I remember when I was in my twenties, I used to swear by such phrases as, "No pain, no gain!" and "No distance, no glory!" Now at 60, I have changed my phrases to, "If it hurts, that is a warning!" and "If you wish to complete the distance, slow down, smell the flowers and enjoy the scenary!" "Hey is that an edible plant? I need to stop and take a picture of it!"

My how life is a taskmaster in teaching such little lessons...

More Preparations Needed!

World Net Daily reported yesterday that President Obama has given the green light for protecting the government leadership communications in the event of an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack on our nation.

As we have seen lately, we are now being threatened by not only Iran and North Korea but also just a few days ago, Al Qaeda made statements that it would consider using a nuclear attack on the United States. Iran and North Korea are unstable and would use any excuse to declare war on our country.

This is reminiscent of the cold war threats by Russia and Cuba many years ago.

I do not think our homeland will be hit by a land based nuke, but it could still happen also. More than likely if it happens, it will be an airborne nuke with an EMP affect that would destabilize our country because of the lack of our power grids. This would disrupt all transportation and consequently delay or stop food deliveries to our local grocers.

The only hedge against such a catastrophe will be our gardens and our food storage and bartering with our neighbors for products we do not produce or have on hand.

In such an event, many items will become worth their weight in gold. For example, without toilet paper, what do you do? Tear up books and newspapers? I hope not! We have decided to stock up on at least a three-month supply of TP, just to be safe.

While we are talkiing about long power outages, if the power should go out for an extended time, you should first eat the meats, eggs and dairy items in the refrigerator. Then start cooking up and or drying and jerking the meats and other items in your freezer. You only have a few days window without power before botulism and salmonella take over these foods.

When in doubt about the safety of the food, throw it out. This being said, I understand that in extended survival situations some people have thoroughly cooked (translated - charring) decaying meat and have not gotten sick. I do not know if I could do this or not, and I have not read any thing definitive on this method of preserving rotting meats and vegetables. If the situation catches us in the winter, we are likely able to prolong the freshness of our foods by storing them outdoors in the cold, but,...if it is spring, summer or fall, we may want to not take any chances with getting deathly ill from being poisoned with bad food.

Remember, water will be more critical than food as we will need lots of it and without a good clean source of drinkable water, we might as well pass on eating as digestion requires water to process foods through our systems properly. I am guessing that vegetables high with vitamin C will become important to prevent scurvy from living on a diet of meats. We will also want to get plenty of sunshine to replace vitamin D in our bodies during the crisis period. This is provided the air around us is not contaminated with radiation from a local nuclear blast.

If a war does come here, may God bless us and our families!

If you were to sort out the possible targets in Washington State, I would say that the major targets would likely be first our ability to defend our state especially the largest of all our military bases, and next, the five or so major cities and metropolitan areas around the state including Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver-Portland. Disruption of our transportation systems such as major freeways and both our east-west and our north-south trains would likely also be a target. Next, our water purification systems and our electrical grids such as our dams, Hansford and major power line facilities would be targets. Gasoline refineries and their distribution networks as well as our underground gas lines and utilities would also be a target. Communications are a given, in that with no way to communicate, i.e. telephone and TV and radio, confusion would bring added chaos to the situation.

Now what are the chances that all of these would be targeted and successfully stopped? I would say that we can get a grip on reality that for all of this to take place would be extremely remote.

However, since we are not all likely to move to the country or to the mountains, the majority of us will have to deal with what is dealt to us… thus the need for preparedness.

Maybe it really is time to reconsider a fully stocked bunker or shelter at home again like we did in the early 60's. Of course, the last thing we need is our enemies changing our lifestyles, but all the more reason to incorporate preparedness into our daily living, for those "just in case scenarios". I vote that the least amount of disruption we do to our families the better, however we already know, the better we are prepared, the less all of us will be afraid or scared.

Personally, I would like to err on the side of preparation. I hope you do too...