tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63757202864641206232024-02-21T04:38:11.164-05:00Patriot UndergroundFor the ORIGINAL PATRIOT type folk!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-53892407232628753712015-04-23T10:33:00.001-04:002015-04-23T10:33:17.296-04:00Rebirth of the Patriot Underground <br />
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We have a new writer that will be contributing to the Patriot Underground occasionally. He is a hard working, blue collar, U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and will bring a unique perspective to the Patriot Underground.<br />
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<b>What we need most as American voters</b><br />
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I would like to encourage everyone to get involved in politics. As never before we are at a crossroads of the survival of America as we know it.<br />
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The change that has been forced on us during the current administration is nauseating. We are being told that certain words are off-limits, but only to a select group of Americans and that is only the tip of the iceberg. What I would like to see this group of Patriots unite to accomplish is "Term Limits" for our elected officials. As you can imagine this will be very difficult as most politicians today make serving this great country a career. That was never the intention when this country was founded. The most successful Americans went to Washington and put their careers on hold to take a job serving their country. Most took a drastic pay cut to serve in this capacity.<br />
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Politicians today only tell us what they think we want to hear. What happened to politicians with conviction and honor? What happened to politicians that stood for what they believe in and would take on the challenge of convincing the voters that it would be the best for America? Today we have special interest groups pushing their agendas down the throat of God fearing Americans, that have been made to feel as though we are second class citizens because we don't have sympathy for things that go directly against the will of God. These agendas are pushed forward by politicians that have created mini dynasties in Washington D.C. We have father, sons, daughters and sometimes 4-5 generations of families in national politics. Term Limits are the way to break this cycle.<br />
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What I would like each of us to do is get together and solicit signatures from neighbors, friends, family, church members and anyone else that is interested in saving this great nation. Please link and share the petition below to your Facebook, Twitter, Instragram etc. This will help to get the word out to as many people as possible. The next step will be to attend every political function in your area to let the politicians know what you represent and stand for. Take the petition and make it known that you stand for Term Limits and let the politicians know that they must support term limits to get your vote. This has to be done on a national level but with the audience of the Patriot Underground we can start with the grassroots and get the word out locally. Hopefully with a little work and diligence we can get the effort to go viral on a national level. With enough people talking about these issues and most importantly getting enough signatures we can make a change. To steal a phrase from the bunny huggers "Think globally but act locally".<br />
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An. American<br />
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Link to the Change.org Petition:<br />
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https://www.change.org/p/u-s-house-of-representatives-jeff-mullis-instill-term-limits-for-the-legislative-branch?just_created=true<br />
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<br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12075262072386602919noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-4030465463143921952013-11-08T07:13:00.000-05:002013-11-08T07:13:11.739-05:00News on Venison from Uncle Ted<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_177975" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 510px;">
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Sacred Venison Flesh Demands Serious Care</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.tednugent.com/default.aspx"><img src="http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/4078560434_978411398e.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Proper care of the venison we take is the key to tasting the most pure and delectable table fare known to humankind. (photo courtesy of TedNugent.com)<br /><br />For more than 50 years I have been doing everything in my power to turn people on to the ultimate quality protein and sustenance known to man – <a href="http://www.shopdeerhunting.com/venison-wisdom-cookbook">VENISON</a>! In each and every case, I have succeeded in educating non-hunters and even anti-hunters, and even animal rights freaks to this inescapable reality. In many instances they are extremely resistant due to the myth of “gaminess” and ignorance of <a href="http://www.tednugent.com/Store/Product.aspx?id=SB000007&category=Books">truly pure organic food</a>.<br /><br />It doesn't matter if it is the primo backstraps, hindquarter haunch, flank steaks, or ground burger in a nice chili or spaghetti, every man, woman child has raved about the <a href="http://www.shopdeerhunting.com/venison-wisdom-secrets-for-success-in-the-kitchen-online-course">delicious taste</a> and come to grips with the superior nutrition that wild game meat provides.<br /><br />But here’s the rub – in far too many cases, the mishandling of our game translates into some nasty inedible yuck that has turned the positive term “gamey,” into a negative scare tactic that not only turns people unnecessarily away from venison, but does nothing to endear them to our beloved sport.<br /><br />And here’s why; in most states a local butcher handles so many carcasses that they all get heaped into one big heat-making pile. Add to this mishandling the fact that so many hunters do a piss-poor job of <a href="http://www.shopdeerhunting.com/gut-it-digital-download-v0773">gutting and handling their deer</a> in the field and during transport to the butcher, that now we have the perfect storm for <a href="http://www.shopdeerhunting.com/walhog-wilderness-meat-savr">spoilage and bacteria buildup</a> that spells disaster for the magnificent beast that provided us this very special gift.</div>
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<br /><a href="http://www.tednugent.com/default.aspx"><img src="http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/3620362744_af0eb68a7d.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Each deer we take demands the utmost respect, and the nourishing venison they provide requires our best efforts to clean and cool the meat as quickly as possible, so that no morsel goes to waste. (photo courtesy of TedNugent.com)<br /><br />So this <a href="http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/blogs/ted-nugent-blog">NugeBlog</a> is going out there to the experienced and knowledgeable sporters and butchers out there to push harder at <a href="https://ssl.palmcoastd.com/07601/apps/-185131?iKey=I**E01">deercamp</a> and beyond to educate our <a href="http://www.tednugent.com/spiritWild/">fellow hunters</a> how critical good game handling is for a quality end product of precious meat.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tednugent.com/Store/Product.aspx?id=SB000009&category=Books">Kill em clean</a>, gut em clean, keep em clean and cold, make sure you know your butcher intimately to make certain he handles your animal with all the tender loving care it deserves and your families’ meals deserve.<br /><br />I know my local game warden, chief of police, sheriff, state trooper commander, farmers and butcher. With the proper care and respect, <a href="http://www.shopdeerhunting.com/venison-wisdom-cookbook">venison</a> is the best flesh a person could ever make a <a href="http://www.shopdeerhunting.com/cancooker-jr">meal</a> out of. Revere the beast and the ultimate meals await you.<br /><br />Goodluck, good hunting, God bless & Godspeed, celebrate the flesh,<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tednugent.com/news/newsDetails.aspx?PostID=1497141"><img src="http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2013-08-26-at-7.32.13-AM-150x150.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tednugent.com/spiritwild/">Ted & family</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tednugent.com/">For more Ted go to TedNugent.com</a><br /><br />- See more at: http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/featured/ted-nugent-sacred-venison-flesh-demands-seriou<span style="background-color: #f4f4f0; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;">s-care#sthash.2g6p6AMl.dpuf</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-10958899839761373132013-09-13T16:26:00.003-04:002013-09-13T18:05:49.401-04:00A Real SHTF StorySeveral readers alerted us to a forum thread at Survivalist Boards from a while back that centered around an individual named Selco who spent several years in a city setting during the complete collapse of Bosnia circa 1992. Selco describes the experiences and the survival strategies that he, his family and his community used to stay alive. Many forum members chimed in on the conversation and asked questions of Selco, who took the time to provide vivid details to an interested survival community.<br />
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The story will emphasize the importance of weapons, ammo, barter items, networking with neighbors and friends for mutual defense, and basic meds, like diarrhea control and antiseptics. And, the critically essential need to lay low, blend into the background, and not let folks know what you have.<br />
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The following compendium of the most popular questions and answers from the forum thread has been provided by Chris Kitze of well known alternative media web site Before It's News. It's a long read, but well worth your time. <br />
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When it hit the fan in Bosnia in the 1990's the electrical grid and water utilities went down, thus there was no heat in the winter and no potable water available for drinking. The currency and banking system were non-existent and commerce in its traditional form came to a standstill leaving only barter as a way to acquire goods. The food supply and transportation systems fell apart. Police, fire, and medical services disappeared. Violence, disease and death spread throughout the region. Few were prepared for what would follow. This is Selco's story. Pay attention, it may save your life one day.<br />
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"Nobody wins, we just survived, with a lot of bad dreams."<br />
¨C Selco<br />
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From Selco:<br />
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OK, i wanna share with you my own experience. (be patient with my English, i am from far away )<br />
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I am from Bosnia, and as some of you may know it was hell here from 92-95, anyway, for 1 whole year i lived and survived in a city of 50 000- 60 000 residents WITHOUT: electricity, fuel,running water,real food distribution, or distribution of any goods, or any kind of organized law or government.The city was surrounded for 1 year and in that city actually it was SHTF situation.<br />
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We did not have organized army or police force, there was groups of defenders, actually anybody who had a gun, fight for his own house and his own family.<br />
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Some of us was better prepared, but most of families had food for couple of days, some of us had pistol, few owned AK-47 when all started.<br />
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Anyway, after one month or two, gangs started with their nasty job, hospital looked like butchery, police force vanished, 80 percent of hospital staff gone home.<br />
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I was lucky, my family was big in that time (15 members in one big house, 5-6 pistols, 3 Kalashnikovs) so we lived and survived, most of us.<br />
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I remember US Air force dropped MRE every 10 days (god bless USA for that) as help for surrounded city, it just was not enough.Some of houses had little gardens with some vegetables, most did not.<br />
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After three months rumors started abouth first deaths from starvation,deaths from low temperatures, we stripped every door , window frame from abandoned houses for heating, i burned all my own furniture for heating, lot of people died from diseases, mostly from bad water (two of my family members), we used rain water for drink, several times i ate pigeons, once i ate rat.<br />
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Money did not worth sh.. we traded things, black market worked, few examples: for 1 corned beef can you could have woman for couple of hours(sounds bad, but it was reality) i remember, most of that womans were just desperate mothers, candles, lighters, antibiotics, fuel, batteries, rifle ammo and of course food, we fight like animals for that.<br />
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In situation like that lot of things change, most of people turned to monsters, it was ugly.<br />
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Strength was in the numbers, if you were alone in the house, you ve been probably robbed and killed, no matter how well armed.<br />
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Anyway, war ended, again thanks to America (and again god bless USA for that)<br />
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It is not important witch side had right in that war.<br />
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It was almost 20 years ago, but believe me, for me it was just like yesterday, i remember everything, and i think i learned a lot.<br />
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Me and my family are prepared now, i am well armed, stocked and educated.<br />
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It is not important what going to happen, earthquake, war, tsunami,aliens terrorists, important thing is that something gonna be.<br />
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And from my expirience, you can not survive alone, strength is in the numbers, be close with your family, prepare with them, choose your friends wisely and prepare with them too.<br />
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And at the end, this is my first post, and my English is not so good, so don t judge me too hard.<br />
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Q: How did you get around safely?<br />
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Actually city was broken in something like lot of street communities, in my street (15 or 20 houses) we organized patrols (5 armed man every night) to watch on gangs or enemies.<br />
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We traded things between people in that street, 5 miles from my street there was one street with something like organized traders, but it was to dangerous to go there, it worked only during the nighttime (during the day it was sniper alley) and you had more chance to be robed there than to trade, i used that street only 2 times, and belive me, only when i am really need something bad.<br />
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Q: What about wood? It looked like there are many forests around your city, why did you have to burn doors and furniture?<br />
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First, thank you for your questions, i did not expect this amount of interest for my post.<br />
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I ll be glad to share lot of things with you guys beecause i want to learn lot of things from you.<br />
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Anyway:<br />
Bosnia have lot of woods and forests when you check map, but i lived in city closer to the croatian border, more to the south, i don t want to mention name of the city, but if you check map, south part of my country closer to croatia is all in rock.<br />
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Yes we had some trees in my city, parks, fruit trees, but most of the city is building and houses¡± but belive me all trees in the city is going to be burned very fast when you dont have eletricity for cooking and heating. After that all what you have is furniture, doors, wooden floors¡ (and belive me that stuff is burning too fast)<br />
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There was almost no car use in town because: most of the roads jammed with ruins, abandoned cars, destroyed houses stuff like that, and petrol was like gold.<br />
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If i needed to go somewhere i almost always used night time, never go alone but also never go in big group (2-3 man maybe), always armed, very fast, always in shadows, trough ruins, rarely openly on the street, actually always hiding.<br />
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We did not have suburbs and farmers, in suburbs were enemy army, we were surrounded with enemy army, and inside town you did not know who is your enemy.<br />
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And yes, there were organized groops of gangs, 10-15 people, sometimes even 50, but also there were normal people like you and me, fathers, granddads, decent folks, who robed and killed, there was not too much good and bad guys, most of us was gray, ready for everything.<br />
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Q: Did you prep and what kind of skills did you need?<br />
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Of course you can ask.<br />
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We use what we had, we was not prepared for that situation,we did not know for prepping.<br />
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So you can imagine in some aspects we go back in stone age, actually in most of.<br />
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We just used everything what we had, one example, i had in my propan(or butan i am not sure) stowe big bottle, cylinder (i am not sure is that right word), and i did not use it for cooking or heating, it was to valuable, i manage to built (fix) that bottle with my friend so i can attach a hose on some kind of ventil (sorry my english is going down here) so i can fill those disposable lighters,(they are not disposable if you knowhow to) those lighter worth a small fortune.<br />
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To make story short, somebody bring me empty lighter to me and i fill that lighter with gas, usually i took one can for that or one candle or whatewer he can offer me.<br />
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I hope you understand my example, my english is poor on some things.<br />
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one more example, i am a registered nurse, in time like that, my knowledge was my thing for trade.<br />
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And yes, be trained and educated, in times like that it worth a fortune if you know how to fix things, all your goods is going to be exhausted one day, but your specific knowledge can be your food.<br />
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I mean learn to fix things (shoes or people, whatewer you can)<br />
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My neighbor use to know how to make some kind of oil for oil lamps( oil in glass, peace of rope) and he was not hungry, he never show me how he made that oil ¡±<br />
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i belive he use some tree behind his house and small amount of disel, i don t know.<br />
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My point is learn things, people always need somebody who know to fix things.<br />
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It was not survival movie, it was ugly, we did what we have to do to survive.<br />
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Nobody wins, we just survived, with a lot of bad dreams.<br />
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Q: Wasn¡¯t it religious, the war?<br />
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Sorry man wrong info, that was not Cristian vs Muslim war, it was civil war, with lot of switching between sides.<br />
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And sorry i am not to go in to the politics, i dont care to much for that, i am not going into religious stories, i mean i believe in God as higher power, and I am trying to live by his laws, i am not belong to any dogma, Muslim or Christian.<br />
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Q: Who was your support group?<br />
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My group was only my family, my blood (relatives like uncles, grandmother¡), in my street and in my town trips i had some close friends, but my best friends was my family. I never take stranger in my close group.<br />
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Q: If you had three months to prepare today, what would you do?<br />
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If i have extra three months to prepare?<br />
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Hmmm, probably run overseas :) Joke<br />
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OK, Now i am very well aware how things can go very bad in very short time so i have food, hygiene, energy etc. supply for 6 months, i live in apartment with some improved security, i have house with shelter in a village some 5 miles from my apartment, in that house also supply for 6 months, that village small community, most of them are my relatives,most of them are prepared (they learned that from war), i have four kind of fire weapons with 2000 bullets for each (sorry, can not go in details, laws are different here for rifles).<br />
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I have big garden with that house and some good knowledge about gardening and farming.<br />
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I think i have knowledge now to smell trouble, you know when everybody is saying that everything is going to be fine you somehow know that is everything going to fall apart.<br />
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I think i have strength to do everything what it takes to keep me and my family alive, because when everything is going to sh.., be sure, you are going to do some bad things to save your kid. You don t want to be hero, you want to survive with your family.<br />
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I am nurse, also i am paramedic (US standards)<br />
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And i am willing to learn from all of you.<br />
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One man survivor, no chance ( OK it is my opinion) no matter how well armed and prepared, at the end you gonna die, i ve seen that, many times. Family groups or closest friend with lot of preparing and lots of different knowledge, i believe that is best.<br />
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Q: What items should we stockpile?<br />
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Thank you<br />
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Well depends, i quess if you stock only one thing you are not going to survive, unless you want to survive like robber, then you need only gun and lot od ammo.<br />
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I believe besides ammo food hygiene and energy things (batteries etc.) you need to focus on small things for trade, pocket knives, lighters, flints.<br />
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Also LOT of alcohol, kind that can stay long, i mean stuff like whiskey and that, does not important what kind, you can have cheapest kind, it is very good thing for trade in desperate time.<br />
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Also lack of hygiene things killed a lot of people, i ve seen that.<br />
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You gonna need to have some simple things, like for example lot of garbage bags, i mean a lot, many uses for that, and a LOT of duct tape, many many uses for that.<br />
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In case of weapon keep it simple, i mean now i always carry Glock 45 with me, because i like that gun, but it is not usual gun and usual caliber here, so i also have two 7,62 mm TT russian pistols hidden, because almost everybody have that gun here and a lot ammunition.<br />
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I don t like Kalashnikov, but here there is that rifle on almost every 3rd house so¡<br />
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Most of the time i collect my water from roof in 4 big barrels during the war, then cooked to desinfect, we also had river in that town , too poluted but if you can t choose¡<br />
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I don t think i am expert, i am here to learn.<br />
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I quess it depends how far you going to go to survive with your actions, you need to be prepared to do some ugly things.<br />
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Oh yes it changed my perspective on life, i know now that bad things can happens, and on more important thing, actually i believe it is most important: I don¡¯t anymore believe government and authority, not at all. When they really doing their best to assure you that everything going to be fine, you can be sure that something bad is happening.<br />
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Do not just believe, research.<br />
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Q: What about the civil war¡ and the religious fighting? Did gold and silver help much and how did you get the alcohol and other supplies?<br />
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Hello to all<br />
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It is me again <br />
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I believe in some point this discussion gone wrong way, and no i am not offended, everybody have right for opinion, so here is few of my opinions:<br />
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It was a civil war, yes there was a great influence of religion, but somebody mention ¡°what did you do with people of other religion?¡±<br />
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Well in my family there are people with different religious beliefs so what do you mean with that?<br />
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I ll try to explain you simple; it was an attackers and defenders, lot of switching sides, civil war. War ended without winners, it ended with truce, thanks mostly to USA. It was the wrong war, wrong reasons. I did not fight for religion or ethnicity, i fought to keep my family and myself alive.<br />
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For last 15 years we have peace, we live with people who use to be our enemies, i do not to want to have war and enemy again because ethnicity or religion or any other reason.<br />
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Please do not try to generalize anything about that war, there was not good and bad side, we all suffered and we all try to live together again.<br />
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And yes every side did bad things, and every side had booth good and bad guys.<br />
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I am here for one and only reason- survival, i want to learn, and i can share some useful stuff with you.I don t think about your religious beliefs, your ethnicity or your politic opinion.<br />
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Few words about my city before war, it was a usual Bosnian town, normal life, decent people, schools, theaters, parks, college, airport, crime rate very low, town like most of the smaller towns in USA (i think). I was a young man, just like any of you maybe.<br />
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Now very important think: i am not here to discuss about war reasons, or sides, religion or anything similar.<br />
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Thanks to the war, in my town was REAL SHTF situation, and we can discuss only about that, only that is important.<br />
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You have a lot internet pages, you can learn everything about that war, and you can choose side if you want. OK that s it.<br />
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About survival.<br />
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I don t know about other people on this forum, but i have lot of alcohol stacked now.<br />
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At the beginning of war tank grenade smashed front wall of small distillery (alcohol factory) close to my house, so we took something around 500 liters of rakia (it is something like bosnian whiskey, i guess, it made from grape, very strong)<br />
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It was great stuff for trading, people used alcohol a lot, desperate times i think, we also use it for disinfection.<br />
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About hygiene, cups and plates, paper or plastic, you gonna need a LOT, i know, we did not have it at all.<br />
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My opinion that hygiene things is more important maybe than food, you can easily shoot pigeon, if you have grandmother she may know some eatable plants on nearest small hill (my experience) but you can not shoot hand sanitizer <br />
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Water purifying pills, all kind of cleaning stuff, sanitizers, lot of soap, bleach, gloves, masks, all disposable, take very good care about first aid training, learn how to treat smaller cuts, burns or even gunshot wound, there is not hospital, even if you found doctor somewhere he probably do not have any meds, or you do not have stuff to pay him.<br />
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Learn how and when to use antibiotics and have it a lot.<br />
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Belive me with good knowledge and good amount of meds you are gonna be rich.<br />
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About gold and silver, yes, me personally gave all my gold for ammunition in that time, but it did not worth too much.<br />
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About pets, i did not have it, i did not notice a lot pets in that time, did somebody ate it? I don t know, probably.<br />
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About small family, hmm, not good, usualy few smaller families get together in biggest house and stay together, all relatives (my case)<br />
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Small family or single man, not good for survive in town SHTF, maybe in wilderness (i don t have expirience in that) Even if you stay low profile, hidden in your house with lot of food etc, sooner or later mob will come, and you have maybe have one or two guns, very hard. I agree with low profile policy, it is very important not to attract people with anything, but when they come, you need to have numbers, people and guns, best people is your family.<br />
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About moving trough the city: always night time as i mentioned, never alone, 2-3 man, very fast, never attract with anything, look like everybody else, if most folks look desperate, poor, dirty you need to look same, there is no need that everybody know you have good amount of food, ammo , clean cloths and everything else back at home. Look and act like everybody else.<br />
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When somebody attack you or your family then you need to show that you are very ready.<br />
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I never walked in big groups,in that time and that situation big group is gang.<br />
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Now, this is all my experience, it was then, i did a lot of mistakes, i am not expert, i am here just like any of you, to learn and share.<br />
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For example i don t know too much about wilderness survival, i am here to check it.<br />
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Oh yes, few things to the Sedoy: my wife is different ethnicity, and she is also a Catholic, i am not, and to answer you : no i am not going to shoot her.<br />
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Q: What happened to those who died? Where did people get firewood?<br />
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Well, who ever died or get killed in that period, did not get proper funeral.<br />
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Folks used used every peace of free land, close to house for burial, sometimes even in the garden, 2-3 city parks turned to graveyards,after war most of them are exhumed and properly buried.<br />
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There was not noting like burning bodies or anything similar, as far as i know.<br />
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Oh one more interesting thing about fire, some people use to go few miles during the night only to find fire somewhere so they can fire peace of wood and bring it home, and start fire for cooking or heating, lighters and matches was really precious, and most of the folks did not have enough firewood do keep always fire. For most of the people it was constant search for something, fire,wood,food,ammo¡<br />
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Q: Was salt valuable?<br />
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It was valuable yes, but not too much, for example coffee or cigarettes worth-ed much more.<br />
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Q What about cigarettes?<br />
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Hm, i had a lot of alcohol as i mentioned before, i traded almost everything without any problem, let me say it like this: consumption of alcohol was probably 10 times more than in normal time.Not to mention cleaning and disinfection.<br />
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On the other side you made a very good point, if you have money and time and you have a storage it is probably better to store cigarettes or candles and batteries for trade, or food.<br />
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I was not preparer at that time, we did not have time to prepare, few days before SHTF politicians on TV stated that everything is fine, when sky fell down we just take what you can.<br />
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Q: Tell us more about cooking and the foods you were able to prepare. Were you concerned about the smell getting around and alerting people that there was food over there?<br />
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About cooking, before the SHTF i used in my house electricity for booth, cooking and heating, so when everything started i traded some stuff for some kind of old wood stove, i put it in kitchen ad fix exhaust pipe (right word?) trough hole in wall, i use that for cooking and heating.<br />
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During the summer i cooked in my backyard (walled fence, brick, luckily)<br />
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Concerning the smell of the food, hm, i ll try to picture situation: no electricity, no running water, sewage off for months, dead bodies in ruined houses, grime and mess, believe me it was very hard to smell something nice.<br />
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It was not like in movies, it was ugly,dirty, and smelly.<br />
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Yes i had few problems because of cooking, only few, but as i sad before, enough people, properly armed and with will to defend and you can manage most of the problems with that.<br />
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Probably situation would be different in wilderness.<br />
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I ate mostly some kind of pancakes with local herbs (does not require cooking oil and too much firewood), and of course everything what i could get and trade, rice was good to eat, not too much firewood for that.<br />
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I think i had luck, only few times i ate funny things like pigeons<br />
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I always had something to trade, i guess that saved me, and guns of course.<br />
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Q: 1. Why would the night be safer than daytime? Outside of the obvious of being easier to hide at night, but were the gangs more out during the days? Also, why only small groups of 2-3? What happened to larger groups?<br />
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2. Why would you have to go out at night? For instance, where were you going and why?<br />
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3. How did you handle the mob situation when they came for you, or your family?<br />
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4. You mentioned trading for bullets, etc. How much shooting were you doing during that time and how much ammo did you have, or would like to have had?<br />
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5. How were you able to determine who was an enemy and who wasn¡¯t? How did you manage to get out there trade with people and when/where?<br />
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6. What fortifications did you do to your home and what kind of guard, or protections did you have in place?<br />
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7. Finally, how did you avoid snipers? What precautions did people take against them?<br />
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First almost nobody were out during the day because of snipers, line of defence was very close, so whatever you have to do, you do it during the night, trade something, look for firewood (i can express how much this was important in town, and hard), looking for anything, check somebody, go to hear news (very very important, lot of people get killed because they go somewhere just to see what happening, or what s new) remember, no news, no radio ,no tv, nothing, rumors fed lot of people.<br />
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Already explained, you can stay home and die of hunger and cold, or even infection of some small wound or go out and risk your life, try to find ¨C trade anything useful<br />
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I did have situations concerning my house only, it is no need for too much details, we had more fire power, and brick wall.<br />
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Also we had something like street watch, people from my street were good organized, in case of gangs, now there were a lot shootings.<br />
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There was pretty much shooting in town, i did not have enough weapon at the beginning, one rifle and one pistol (ww2), maybe 100 bullets, later i trade some things for more rifles and ammo, remember i gave car battery for 2 rifles.<br />
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How much ammo ?<br />
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A LOT, as more as you can.<br />
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Most of the time you are not able to determine who is enemy or friend, expect my family and few real friend, everybody else is potential enemy. When your friend must choose between his child s death and your death quess who is going to choose.<br />
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Rumors, somebody tells you that some old guy few block away have some cans and he is looking for ammo or whatever, you go there, as i say you are always looking for something. Same some people would came in my street as traders, with some goods.<br />
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There was something like trade street during the night, actualy it was a big ruins of sport center, you can go overthere and look for something or offer something, but it was not controlled by anyone so it was too dangerous.<br />
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It was primitive pretty much, brick wall around house,bags of sand on windows and doors, over that bags we used whatever you can, big pieces of metal, stones, inside house we put all kind of stuff on windows, only small openning left for rifle, always 5 members of family ready for fight, one always outside on street hidden.<br />
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Stone age situation<br />
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To avoid snipers, we stay home at day, it was not so much night snipers, even during the night we never walked openly on the streets if we can avoid that, always shortcuts, trough ruins, fast and quiet.<br />
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Q: What was your bathroom situation? Where did you go? Did you have anything to wipe with? Sorry ask such personal questions, but this is something that I¡¯ve wondered about in this type of situation.<br />
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we used shovel and any piece of land close to house, sounds dirty, and it is dirty, washing with collected rainwater, sometimes go to river (most of the time that was too dangerous) Most of the time we did not have toilet paper, even if i had it, i trade it.<br />
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It was a bad situation all the time.<br />
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If i can give some advice: first to prep is a weapon and ammo, then everything else, i mean everything, depends how much money and space you have, if you forget something no problem there is always somebody ready for trade, but if you forget guns and ammo then you may not be able to get to trading places.<br />
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I do not see big family or group of really( i mean really) good friends as more mouth to feed, i see them as more guns and strength, it is in people nature to adapt.<br />
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And keep it simple and use common sense, in the first period weak people vanished, other fight.<br />
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Go with small thing, lighters, candles, flints. It is great idea to have fuel generator( electrical generating unit?) but i think is better idea to have 1000 bic lighters. Fuel generator is great, but in shtf scenario in town it is going to attract whole army,1000 bic lighters don t take too much space, cheap, you can always trade it for something.<br />
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Real SHTF scenario demands completely change of normal mindset, hard to explain, i ll try through examples.<br />
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Q: How easy/hard was it to get weapons AFTER the SHTF and what could you trade for weapon and ammunition<br />
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(I remember you saying a car battery for a rifle) and where would I go to find the people who trade in weapons?<br />
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Hm, you re right, after the war every house here had a weapon from war, and yes police did some actions to take illegal weapon from population, depends from man to man i quess, lot of people find ways to hide their weapon somewhere, just in case.<br />
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I also have legal weapon (license), and authority here have some thing they call it ¡°temporary collecting¡±, it is says something like : in a case of unusual event (riots, unrest, etc) government have right to temporary collect all legal weapon, so i keep always in mind that, and i acted like some people.<br />
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You know some people have legal weapon for everyday carry( i have glock 45 and taurus 38) but some people with legal weapon also have illegal weapon hidden somewhere just in case SHTF and ¡°temporary collecting¡±<br />
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It is not hard to get weapon in SHTF if you have good stuff for trade, but other thing is important, first days of SHTF is worst in terms of chaos and panic, maybe you not gonna have time to get gun. And to be unarmed in chaos panic and riots is bad.<br />
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In my case man needed car battery for radio i think, and he had some extra rifles, so we trade.<br />
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Q: What about medical care for people who were shot or became injured?<br />
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Wounds was mostly gunshot wounds of course, without specialists and everything else, if wounded manage to find doctor somewhere he had like 30% chances to live, again it is not movie, mostly they died, lot of died even from minor cuts infections, i had antibiotics maybe for 3-4 treatment. Of course for my family only.<br />
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Simple things killed people, diarrhea can kill you in a few days without meds and rehidratation, (fluid therapy, IV) especially small kids. Lot of fungal skin deseases,and food poisoning, we could not do too much. Basically we treated diseases mostly with local herbs, and if you had wound, put rakia on it and try to find antibiotics somewhere.<br />
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So i was good at fixing wounds in term of emergency help, but longer procedure-bad prognosis.<br />
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What i learned? Hygiene again, and a lot of meds, especially antibiotics. You need to learn to treat lot of stuff, go online, finish some training, EMT maybe, first aid etc.<br />
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In SHTF things are different, learn how to open IV, when to use certain drug, or antibiotics.<br />
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Get your self ANA TE (anti tetanus ) shot injections , snake poison kit, adrenaline kit (allergic reactions, different kinds) thick removal kit, (thick related illness can kill you, learn how to remove thick)¡<br />
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Get in your prepper storage some reanimation kit (simple one) like small oxygen cylinder, BVM mask etc. It is not really hard to learn to use all of these.<br />
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OK let s clear something, of course you can not use anything of this in real world unless you are certified and trained for that ( EMT, nurse, physician ).<br />
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But in SHTF nobody ask you for license, just learn and have in your storage big part for medical things.<br />
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So to answer question how did i help and treat, most of the time very poor,i help some with resources that i have, i took food or something else for exchange, i was badly prepared for that, now i am what do i need to have.<br />
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Q: Did your local currency/money still hold value? Were you still able to use money to purchase items from other people?<br />
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No, not really, i mean sometimes you can use foreign money if you had it to buy something, (dollars or German marks) but even in that rare occasion rate was unbelievable for examples 1 can of beans for 30-40 dollars (normal value was maybe 0,50) i quess somebody had connections with outside world, black market you know, so he can earn lot of money.But it was very rare. Trade was main thing to get something.<br />
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Local currency crashed very fast, in few weeks or month maybe.<br />
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Q: How much space should I keep for alcohol storage? What was security like?<br />
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About alcohol first, you right but you are right in booth ways, people need alcohohol more in desperte times then usual, so it is kind of gambling i guess , it is very good item for trading, i never had problems with alcohol trading and having than problems with trading other things.</div>
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Also i am thinking about something else, maybe it is better to fill my storage with something less space consuming but still interesting for trade, like batteries, antibiotics etc.<br />
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Thing is i had all that alcohol for free, i did not buy it.I don t know about this.<br />
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In most of the situations people attack me because they think they are stronger, they did not know for sure what i really had.<br />
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About ammunition trade, it depends how much ammo you are going to have, sometimes i trade ammo for food, and in few weeks again food for ammo, but i never never do trade at my home, and never bigger amounts, very few people knowed how much of anything i had in my house.<br />
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The point is store as much of anything as you can store (space , money) later during the situation you ll see what is most popular, correcti ammo and guns always gonna had 1 place for me, but who knows maybe number 2 for trading gonna be for example masks with filters.<br />
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About medical issue , i ll write in my next post what do i have now in my medical part of storage<br />
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Defence were very primitive, again we were not prepared, we use what ever we could, windows were broken, roofs mostly damaged from shelling, all windows were blocked with something, sand bags and rocks,every night i blocked my yard gate with junk- rubble from the street and i use old alluminium ladder to get over the wall, when i come back i called somebody from house to get me that ladders so i can move in.<br />
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Guy from my street barricaded his house completely, if he go out at night he use a hole that he maded in one room that is connected with neighbor s house, and go trough his (ruined and destroyed) house out, actually he had secret entrance.<br />
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It may look weird to say but most secured houses are gone first, of course we had some very nice houses in neighborhood, with walls, dogs, alarms, steel bars on windows, alarms. And you can quess what happened, mob attacked those houses first, some were defended other not, depend how many guns and hands thea have inside.</div>
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So i think security is great, but be sure that you keep it low profile, forget about alarm, if you live in town and SHTF you gonna need simple looking non interesting secured house, with lot of guns and ammunitions.<br />
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Just keep it low profile and not interesting.<br />
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On my apartment door now i have steel door for security reason, but only to keep me trough first short period of chaos, then i am moving out to connect with bigger group of armed people (family and friends) in the country (i hope)<br />
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Well in my case migration did not happen because it happen very fast, other army just closed city in ring and that s it, if you ask me where was that army and how we did not seen them coming, the answer is simple, that army was an ally of army of my side and people, and one day we woke up and figured they are enemy now and they are closing all ways out. Politics . It is true, one more side of civil war.<br />
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But i heard from others parts of country, and my frends who stayed in villages in the other parts in state, that they have much better situations,countryside had land,corn,wheat, fruit trees, farms etc they had enough food, it was bad, but much better than in city.<br />
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I know one thing if we had some way out from the town, we would use it, we did not have it.<br />
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Q: What was the situation with banks and stores?<br />
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About banks, loans, credit cards. Complete monetary system died for about one year, so nothing works.<br />
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It is complex question in many ways, i ll try it to answer it in some future posts, need much more time and much much more space to describe it. Even now almost 20 years later folks are at European court suing banks, because they dont want to admit their savings in banks, lot of different things happened in that period , they changed money, i mean monetary name, they changed it 2-3 times , hyperinflation occurs, lost of paper trails about savings, loans ¡ i remember some people use that situation to get rich, they still rich ¡± <br />
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So i ll try to describe that in separate post.<br />
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There was a lot problems with proving people s property after everything, for example: my father had nice apartment and because war he must leave it, after war ended he was at court for about 4 years proving that apartment was his, reasons for that were different, because politics in that time, but also he did not have enough paper work to prove that apartment was his (he did not took papers from apartment when he fled, he had more important things to care)<br />
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On the other side during the worst period, people just moved in empty house, and that s it.<br />
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I mention rural areas in other post. As far as i remember it was better there.</div>
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In that period there is not running vehicle, actually i remember tank at the front line, and Lada Niva ( check it on web) with cut of doors and roof and installed machine gun ( i think it was an old m53) and those two only moved when they fired( they keep it hidden behind ruined houses)<br />
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For let me call it ¡°civilian population¡± there was no moving with vehicles, streets were mostly under rubble and unusable and fuel was too expensive.<br />
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Not to draw attention was a big thing, about clothing, there use to be some sort of town defense, it was not like real military,mostly mixed civilian clothes with part of uniforms, different weapon, so no rules.<br />
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But as soon as go in to that things and try to talk about two armies, their strength, war crimes, politics i am not gonna like it any more, because people gonna start to choose sides, and i think it is not important for us here.<br />
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As i said before there was not organized army, but we all been like soldiers, we had to, most of us carry weapon and try to protect from enemy army and robbers.</div>
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Inside the town you did not want to look fancy because somebody shoot you and took your good stuff, you did not want to have fancy rifle, because probably you not gonna find ammo in that caliber and also you are drawing attention.</div>
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So let s me try to put it this way: if SHTF tomorrow, i will try to look like most of the people outside, scared, desperate, confused and i ll scream maybe, no fancy looking stuff, i ll not go out in fancy new uniform and yell ¡°I am here, you are finished now looters and robbers¡± I ll stay low profile, heavily armed and well prepared waiting to see my options, even if i have to go out with all my gear to do things i ll go in night, with best friend or brother. Maybe sounds ridiculous, but from my expirience it works, be wery well prepared, but let nobody outside your house know or see that.<br />
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No matter how good is your house security, how good is your weapon, if people see that they have good reason to rob you they probably rob you in town SHTF, it is only matter of time and number of guns.Don t ever give them reason to be interesting for robbing. Stay uninteresting. Now this is my opinion, maybe is not working in different situation.<br />
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About robbing grocery store and gas stations, it happened very very fast, as soon as shooting started all valuable things was emptied, there vas some effort of authority to keep it together but everything fall apart in first weeks.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-6735294617707109462013-09-07T15:41:00.001-04:002013-09-07T15:41:11.534-04:00Patriot Underground's Top Tens for PreppersOkay folks, this one is going to be short (or at least shorter) and sweet. Today I am going to tell you about my top TEN guns by type that every prepper should own, and the top TEN types of ammo to hoard... errr.... stockpile.... ummm... add to inventory. Yeah... inventory.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Top Ten Weapons</b></span><br /><br />The top ten firearms every house should own if you want to cover all the bases are as follows:<br /><br /><b>Number ten:</b> Black Powder Pistol<br />&<br /><b>Number nine: </b>Black Powder Rifle<br />I'll cover numbers ten and nine at the same time because I put them on my list for the exact same reasons. If things go way south, beyond just the end of the world as we know it, with these two firearms you can still get it done. These are your REAL Just In Case firearms. What happens in a true collapse after all the ammo is gone? If you have these, you go to the junkyards and gather wheel weights and make your own. You make your own powder too. End of the world averted. <br /><br /><b>Number eight:</b> Rimfire Pistol<br />.22 ammo is the most abundant and stockpiled ammo and having a pistol in this caliber is only practical in my opinion.<br />
<br /><b>Number seven:</b> Long Range Rifle<br />Having the ability to really reach out there and touch someone is a bonus. Most people would have put this higher on the list than number seven. I almost put this as number ten, but after some pondering I moved it up a bit because having the skill to reach out to a thousand yards is beyond 95% of the population's ability. If you have the equipment to do it, eventually you might finds someone that can use it for you if you find yourself outside that other 5%. Otherwise, everyone wants one and you can probably trade for something really useful in a doomsday scenario... like a whiskey still.<br /><br /><b>Number six:</b> Combat Revolver<br />A combat revolver is simply a larger caliber revolver such as a ..38/357 that is simple to show someone who has never fired a weapon how to use. It is also in a very common caliber that should be more readily available wherever you are.<br /><br /><b>Number five:</b> Pistol Caliber Carbine<br />Paired with a pistol of like caliber, you only have to pack one ammo. If you choose a .40 S&W then you will basically be shooting a 10mm in a carbine. If you pick the right carbine, it even uses the same mags as your pistol. Simplifying your weapons is a good idea.<br /><br />
<b>Number four:</b> Rimfire Rifle<br />Do I really need to explain this one? You can load it with subsonic ammo and take squirrels without anyone knowing you're there. Or you can load it with high performance ammo and it will readily take a deer. Thousands of poachers can't be wrong, right? <br /><br />
<b>Number three:</b> 12 Gauge Shotgun<br />Home defense... bird hunting... deer hunting... bear hunting... disabling vehicles... Most common shotgun loading and the most popular. Most loadings available. Least picky about ammo. Broadest range of uses of all the firearms. 'Nuff said.<br /><br />
<b>Number two:</b> Rifle Caliber Carbine<br />We all know what I'm talking about right? An AR or an AK in the short version that is (or will be) your everyday patrol rifle. Always slung and good from point blank range out to a couple hundred yards. It simply extends your range until you can get back to a defensible position with heavy artillery.<br /><br />
<b>Number one: </b>Defensive Pistol<br />I know, I know... "Why is the 10/22 not in this spot?" Because as much as we all love the 10/22, carrying a rifle (even one this small) every minute of every day is simply not practical. especially when you are having to use your two hands to fix something like your vehicle... since the dealership is not open today... or this year.<br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Top Ten Ammos</span></b><br /><br />These are based on three criteria: Availability, Affordability, and Commonality.<br /><br />How readily available are they? Can one find them in most locations? A .41 Magnum is great, but can you find ammo for it? Probably not. You gotta be able to find it if you need it.<br /><br />How affordable are they? Can one afford to stock up on them? A .338 Lapua is a great round, but can you afford to buy a couple thousand rounds for it? Again, probably not.<br /><br />How common are they? If you have to rely on unconventional methods of living such as barter and trade, do you want to be stocked up on something that nobody is looking for? How many people do you know that are looking for .41 Magnum ammo? Not many I bet.<br /><br />You need your ammo cache to be stuff that you yourself need and can use, but also stuff that most everyone else needs. If times are tough, you can trade off ammo for food, labor, or whatever else. It also needs to be something that you can afford to stockpile right now without going hungry or having your power shut off. And lastly, it needs to be in the most common calibers in your area. Don't forget, if you move to another region, the common calibers may be different. For example, here where I currently live, the .243 is insanely popular for deer hunting, but in Alaska the most popular is the .30-06. <br /><br />That said, the top ten ammos every house should own if you want to cover all the bases are as follows:<br /><br /><b>Number ten:</b> .308<br />While slightly on the pricy side, it is a very popular cartridge and is used in multiple weapons platforms. This will be a very "in demand" round when shelves remain empty and doors are closed and padlocked. Stock 168 grain match type ammo, and then a heavier and lighter hunting round. If you can find a good price on military FMJ, don't pass that up either. While the others are great for hunting and sniping, when it comes down to trade and barter, cheap FMJ's are where it will be.<br /><br /><b>Number nine: </b>.30-30<br />I know what you are thinking. Yes, .30-30. First off, it is the most popular deer cartridge nationwide. No really. I bet if you think about it you can come up with three friends that have a .30-30. Now, how many can you come up with that shoot a .270? Too, this is a semi-modern loading that can be retroverted back to black powder if need be... and the loading info is right there on the barrel: 30 caliber bullet over 30 grains of black powder - .30-30. Get something in the 150 to 160 grain range.<br />
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<b>Number eight:</b> 7.62 x 54R<br />Easy... millions of Mosin Nagants out there, billions of sealed spam can rounds. Cheap.<br />
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<b>Number seven:</b> 7.62 x 39<br />
See above. Plus, if they don't shoot a 5.56, they DO shoot a 7.62 x 39.<br />
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<b>Number six: </b>12 Gauge<br />
Stock any and all loadings for this round in 2 3/4 inch: # 7 1/2 Birdshot, OO Buckshot, and 1 oz rifled slugs. Once you have a nice pile of those three, branch out. Next get # 4 game loads, and # 4 Buckshot then step up to 3 inch shells and repeat.<br />
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<b>Number five: </b>.38 / .357<br />
By far the most popular revolver round in the U.S. of A. It has been around for a hundred years now and those old Saturday Night Specials are everywhere! Stock up on anything you can get cheaply!<br />
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<b>Number four: </b>.223 / 5.56<br />
This is the most popular NATO caliber in use and most every non-communist block country uses it. Add that to the fact that every prepper I know of has an AR platform in .223 and that means demand will be high. Stock up on 55 grain FMJs and 64 - 77 grain hunting loads.<br />
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<b>Number three:</b> 9mm<br />
Then most popular handgun round in the world. And it is readily available and cheap... least it was cheap. Either way, almost everyone has a 9mil to go with their .223 and demand will be high.<br />
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<b>Number two:</b> .40 S&W<br />
The most popular law enforcement round in existence in the U.S. There are a plethora of loadings out there and it is a very proven performer. (And it becomes a 10mm in a carbine!) The Federal XM40HB 155 grain loading is a Federal law enforcement loading that is really hot for a .40. I wouldn't advise shooting a lot of it but it is probably the best 40 cal round out there.<br />
<br /><b>Number one:</b> .22 LR<br />
I won't even bother... we all know why we should have this one on hand.<br /><br />Hope this helps.<br />Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-31514311611513886452013-08-01T22:13:00.000-04:002013-08-01T22:13:26.246-04:00Debt Free... Tell Wells Fargo to Pound Sand.<br />
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<br />In another four months, I will be debt free... well, with the exception of my home. How did I do this? Well, some old bald dude in Nashville helped me. He gave me a system to do it and you know what? It WORKS! It really does. So, who is this man I speak of?<br />
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Who here knows Dave Ramsey? If not, here's a brief synopsis of who this man is. Dave Ramsey is a self made multi millionaire... TWICE. (<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/home/">http://www.daveramsey.com/home/</a>) Twice you ask? Yep, twice. He got his realtor's license when he was just 18 and by the time he turned 26 he was a self made multimillionaire. Then in 1986, the government got him. No, not like that. In '86 the government came up with the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and the bank that he had over a million dollars in loans with was sold to a larger bank. The larger bank wondered why the smaller bank had given these loans to a kid with no collateral and called the loans. Calling the loans means the you must repay the loans within 90 days. Yeah... they CAN do that. <br /><br />With no way to repay the loans that he had tied up in flipping houses he had to file for bankruptcy protection. That means BROKE. No assets whatsoever. No money. No car. No house. NOTHING. Just a wife that loved and supported him and some clothes on his back.<br /><br />So starting from nothing and unable to get a bank's help he started real estate wholesaling. Eventually building his wealth back to pre tax act days and then some! Today he is worth over 55 million. What have you done in the last 30 years? He has gone from zero to millionaire twice. Did it go to his head? Nope. This guy gives away more than most celebrities earn every year. He still eats at the local joints and is a good tipper by all accounts. He'll even say hello to a nobody. <br />
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So, enough about him, let's talk about me for a minute. I am about as broke today as they come... well, sorta. Never mind the fact that I have less that two hundred bucks in my account and bills go out tomorrow. The fact of the matter is, come December, just in time for Christmas, every dime my wife and I earn goes into OUR pocket and not some banker's pocket. Especially not Wells Go Fargo Yourself's pockets. Two years ago, I was $315,000 dollars in debt. No joke. One house in Arizona that I owed $160,000 on that was upside down by $80,000. A $40,000 car, $35,000 in credit card debt, a $30,000 remodel loan, a relocation to the other side of the country, my property where I currently live, a wedding (those things ain't cheap!), and a newborn daughter. That little girl is the only thing that has kept me sane, I promise you that!<br /><br />So how did I get so far underwater one might ask? Well, I ask myself that all the time! Here's the short answer: I was too worried about my credit score. Yep, my 790 credit score. My pretty, shiny, unblemished credit score. That's the short answer, here's the abbreviated long answer: I bought the Arizona house in July of 2006 and immediately took out a $30,000 second mortgage for remodeling it. Anyone know what happened in the next month or two of 2006? The housing market in Arizona didn't pop... it exploded. The house that I had just bought was worth less than HALF of what I paid for it... and I now had a second mortgage on it! Well, nothing I could do. After all, the market will come back right? Let's finish the remodel, that'll help bring the price back up. Today, seven years later, that house is STILL worth $55,000 LESS than I paid for it. <br /><br />In August of 2009, I went to see if I could get financed for a house on my property here. Yep, I bought acreage that we really liked to build a house on that didn't already have a house. We are currently living in what amounts to a one bedroom hunting cabin. Yep, three of us in a 714 square foot, one bedroom, 3/4 bath hunting cabin over a nice garage. The bank loan officer said we were too extended and our debt to income ratio was a bit off. He suggested I sell the Arizona property. I told him I had been trying to get rid of it for five years already and Wells Fargo was refusing to work with me. He said that was normal for Wells Fargo. He then went on to suggest I just let them have it as Arizona was a non-pursuant state. "A what?" I asked. He explained that Arizona was one of a few states that when you foreclose on a house they cannot by law come after you for the difference.<br /><br />Fast forward a year... STILL making $1,400 a month house payments and now further underwater. I went to see if we were any more likely to get financed for a house. Nope. The loan manager actually told me that I needed to foreclose on the property. Wells Fargo had been yanking me around and when they canceled a prospective short sale because they "assumed I had sold the property because the loan shows paid in full" when in fact they had simply given it a new loan number due to a refinance and then informed me that I had to start the short sale process OVER. I called B.S. on it and decided then and there that I wasn't sending them ONE MORE DIME. <br /><br />I also decided that at that time I needed to get my affairs in order to have a wrecked credit score. That means doing cash business. I started looking a methods of getting on with life without credit. I then bumped into a bankruptcy story on the internet. The guy was talking about the nightmare that a bankruptcy causes. Did you know that while a bankruptcy no longer affects your credit after seven years, it sticks with you for life? Yep. Every time you fill out an application it asks not if you had a bankruptcy in the last seven years, it asks "Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?" <b>EVER! </b>That man's site mentioned another man... named Dave Ramsey.<br /><br />Full Circle<br /><br />That day about two years ago was a life changer. I read Dave's book The Total Money Makeover and here I am. I am in the final stages of step two of the Seven Steps to Financial Freedom. Getting nowhere fast right? Well, it ain't a sprint... it is a marathon. You don't have to be cheetah fast to win, just gazelle intense! <br />
Get it? The gazelle doesn't have to be faster than the cheetah to live another day, just more intense. The gazelle wins 90% of the time over the much faster cheetah because it is INTENSE. That's me. <br /><br />While I won't rewrite Dave's book for you, I will give you the seven steps and a brief synopsis of each. Maybe they can help some of you... wait, that isn't a correct statement. They WILL HELP the majority of you! You just need to commit to doing them with that gazelle intensity and have faith. They will work! If you don't want to by his book, I have read it about five times and I am a self proclaimed expert on his methods! This WILL get you out of debt and you can live a cash only lifestyle! (See, there is the tie in to the theme of this site!) Read on...<br /><br />Here we go! <br />Getting Started~ You need to sit down with your spouse and talk about this. You have to agree with each other and commit to doing no more harm! You gotta agree to stop borrowing money, stop using the credit cards, stop the insane spending on frivolous items, and to get current on your present bills... then you gotta create a zero-base budget. That is a WRITTEN BUDGET that when it comes the end of the month your balance is ZERO- not one dollar left unspent! Scary right? Nahh... just follow the seven steps below and you'll be fine. You just gotta have faith!<br /><br />Step One: Save a $1,000 small emergency cash fund in the next month or two. This is exactly what it says it is. Transmission goes out? Need a well pump? Those are emergencies... Christmas comes every year and is not an emergency... neither is a new purse or a new handgun.<br />Step Two: Create a debt snowball. List all your debt on a piece of paper starting with the lowest balance first, regardless of the interest rate. If two similar balances have different interest rates, list the higher interest one first. Change to paying only the minimum payments on every one of those other debts but the very first one. Now take EVERY DIME you have left over after paying the necessities (food, power, and water) for the month and pay that on the very first one until it is paid off. Now move on to the next larger one and repeat! Keep doing that while rolling in the extra money you now have left from the minimum payment you are no longer paying. When I started this step two years ago, I was paying less than 200 bucks to the first card... this month I will pay over a GRAND to the very last bill I have. See how it works? If not, ask me!<br />Step Three: Create a large emergency fund that is three to six months living expenses. This will actually be rather easy now that you are not paying a bunch of payments. All you have to pay every month is your food, water, and lights... and maybe a phone and cable, right? Other than that all your salary is going into this fund! This fund is kept in a rather easy to access money market account. Once you have this fund, you can now move into your personal savings. <br />Step Four: Invest at least 15% of TOTAL household income in Roth IRA's and pre tax retirement. Easily done now that you aren't paying any bills and you have a lot of gazelle momentum built up! This is money that will support you in your retired life. This happens from now until you retire.<br />Step Five: Save for your children's college fund. In step three you saved six months of living expenses in just a couple months, right? Well, now you are taking all that extra money and dumping it into the kid's college fund that is in mutual funds! <br />Step Six: Pay off your house early! Simple as it sounds. Now you attack this last debt and in no time it'll be gone!<br />Step Seven: Build your wealth and give like never before! Yep... live it up. <br />
<br />Dave's version is here: <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-steps/">http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-steps/</a><br /><br />Try it folks! It'll change your life!<br /><br /><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-73743694363133258142013-06-13T23:12:00.000-04:002013-06-13T23:12:26.355-04:00Improve Accuracy- One Shot at a Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pay attention to where your rounds strike the target. <br />A little target analysis can tell you a lot of information! </td></tr>
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I got aggravated when I went to the range and the guy next to me loaded up, and then unloaded 17 rounds in five seconds. He then reloads, and does that again... and again... and again. Finally, I flag him down and let him know I need to go downrange and change targets. "Yep, me too!" he replies. We get to the target stands and... well, I'm not quite sure what target he was shooting at. There are holes in EVERYTHING. This guy was shooting something close to a five foot group, and from the seven yard line. <br /><br />"Man, I can't hit nothing with this damn thing!" he says. I glance down at what appears to be a relatively new Gen 3 Glock 17 in his holster. "What's wrong with it?" I ask. "I don't know... you wanna shoot it and see if you can figure it out?" So we walk back to the firing line and I load up one of his mags... and print a two inch group of five rounds using controlled, slow fire. <br /><br /><br />"Works okay for me." I tell him. "Let me see if I can tell what you might be doing wrong." I say as I hand it back to him. He then empties the mag of the last 10 or 12 rounds in about five seconds. Again they are all over the place. His fundamentals suck. Poor grip, poor stance, really poor trigger control...<br /><br />"Partner, you have 30 extra minutes to kill learning something?"<br />"Sure." he says.<br />"Come down here with me."<br />
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"First things first, we gotta fix that grip. Shake my hand... no... not a dead fish.... OUCH... NO, not a pro wrestler! Give me a good firm handshake like you would an old friend. Good, now make it a two handed politician's handshake. Good! That is how you grip a pistol. Nice firm but equal pressure. Now, put your hands together like you're holding a pistol and stick out your trigger finger and your support hand thumb touching, in line, and pointed toward your target... thumb nail and fingernail should be the same length. Now place your other thumb on top filling the groove between the finger and your other thumb. There you go! Thumbs and trigger finger extended and pointed toward the target! That is how you make a good grip right there John! Extend your gun (gunless grip) toward the target." I step in front of him. <br /><br />"Now, don't move your feet and reach out and touch me in the chest with your "gun". Can't reach? Bend forward at the waist, get the weight on the balls of your feet. Still not reaching? Roll your shoulders forward and create some isometric pressure in that grip to generate that extra two inches. Tuck that chin down between those shoulders, bring the gun UP. It you are having to lower your head, bend more and raise the gun. Head up! Perfect! That is a great stance John, nice and square. Locked in. Head is up, shoulders rolled out and locked, good isometric tension and a good grip!" I pick up and visually and physically clear his pistol... no ammo in sight. <br /><br />"John, stick out your right hand, open for that handshake." I place the Glock into his hand and press it deeply into the web of his hand getting a nice, high purchase. "Now shake that 'hand' John. See that little gap left where your fingers end on this side of the pistol? Put the meat of your other thumb in that gap. Now wrap those fingers and extend those thumbs... trigger finger still extended on the opposite side of the pistol. Notice it is still directly across from your thumb and is placed along the slide? Good. Now drop it into the trigger guard and onto the trigger. Place the trigger on the pad of your finger, but not quite into the joint area of your finger. Awesome. Now, a slow and steady squeeze. You will hafta practice dry-firing a lot on your own time John. This isn't something you learn over night."<br /><br />I tell him to load all his mags and when done we head downrange to the fifteen yard line. I put up one clean target with the blank side out... kind of a clean slate to "erase" the "buckshot" groups already there. Then I hang a single small paper plate in the middle. We step back to admire the target. <br /><br />"Okay John, remembering all the stuff I just showed you, I want you to draw and shoot one round at the tack in the center of the plate." <br />"From HERE?! I can almost touch the target" <br />"Yep, from here. One round. Then reholster." <br />"One round?"<br />"One round."<br />He shoots and misses the tack by about a half inch.<br />"Again."<br />This time about a half inch on the other side.<br />"Again."<br />Just misses it.<div>
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"There you go John... that's a legit one inch group."<br />"HAHAHAA! Yeah, from two feet!"<br />"Ya gotta start somewhere, right? Now, take one itty bitty step back and repeat that."<br /><br />After three rounds again all around the tack there was now a two inch group.<br />"One small step back John. Now repeat that... one round at a time, from the holster."<br /><br />Still a two inch group on the target. Another small step back, now at about three yards. Still a two inch group, but I see them starting to drift to seven o'clock. I remind John to get a good "firm handshake" grip and to be smooth with the trigger. Then I have him repeat it. Back to a good two inch, centered group.<br /><br />Another step back. Three inch group. "Remember to roll those shoulders, chin tucked, and bend at the waist John." Another step, still three inches. All the way back to about five yards. Then the group starts to open. I have John take two steps forward and shoot three. Back to a respectable group. We repeat this a few times until he is steadily keeping them in the hole that is now forming in the plate. All the way back to the seven, one small step at a time. When the group starts to open noticeably, we move forward a couple of full steps. Then shoot back into the group. Slowly moving back one tiny step at a time. Before John notices it, we are standing at the fifteen yard line. He has a five inch HOLE in the center of the eight inch paper plate... a few flyers here and there, but still a hole. I go replace the paper plate as John reloads his mags. <br /><br />"Ok John, I want you to draw and shoot one round at the tack in the center of the plate."<br /><br /><br />In less than an hour (Yes, I know... anyone that knows me will tell you that when I ask you if you have 30 minutes, you'd better have an hour!) John went from shooting a five foot group at seven yards to shooting a respectable seven inch group and a five inch hole at fifteen yards. This was simply a classic example of what a grouping exercise and a few fundamentals can do for you if you take the time to do them. <br /><br />I encourage you to practice the fundamentals and then do this grouping exercise about once a month or so. If you are like John, you will really tighten up your group after just one session. If you are a more advanced shooter, I will still bet you a box of ammo that your group will still tighten up considerably if you do this. In a nutshell you just start at point blank range and take a baby step back every time you get a satisfactory group. If your group is not just about as good as it was from the spot prior, take two full steps forward and repeat the process. Keep working your way back a step at a time. If you find ANY of your rounds falling outside the paper plate, you are moving back way too fast and exceeding your range. <br /><br />Good luck, and Happy shooting!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N963.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6527721.7;dcadv=3632184;sz=180x150;lid=41000613802463973;pid=sku3944272;usg=AFHzDLsmG77N_0dPM9JqLaDNic2MEwFhUw;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.samsclub.com%252Fsams%252Fdo-all-outdoors-shooting-target%252Fprod3530230.ip%253Fpid%253D_DoubleClick_Affiliates%2526ci_src%253D15781033%2526ci_sku%253Dsku3944272;pubid=627427;price=%2468.87;title=Do+All+Outdoors+Shooti...;merc=Sam%27s+Club;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fs7d2.scene7.com%2Fis%2Fimage%2Fsamsclub%2Fs7product%2F0064989815174_A.jpg;width=85;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N963.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6527721.7;dcadv=3632184;sz=180x150;lid=41000613802463762;pid=UBM9780979150869;usg=AFHzDLsBA37DGI_jozRnDcKGIt1tkqIXjA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.cdsbooksdvds.com%252Fproduct.jhtm%253Fsku%253DUBM9780979150869;pubid=627427;price=%2421.36;title=Combat+Focus+Shooting+...;merc=CDS+Books+and+DVDS;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fc374667.r67.cf1.rackcdn.com%2F9780979150869.jpg;width=55;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N963.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6527721.7;dcadv=3632184;sz=180x150;lid=41000613802464048;pid=23865578;usg=AFHzDLtflLQAHrb9TVHmH6_FeHVJ_oeJQQ;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.officemax.com%252Foffice-supplies%252Fbreakroom-cleaning%252Fsafety-and-security%252Feye-care-protection%252Fproduct-prod4860587%253Fcm_mmc%253DPerformics-_-Office%252520Supplies-_-Breakroom%252520and%252520Cleaning-_-Safety%252520and%252520Security%2526ci_src%253D14110944%2526ci_sku%253D23865578;pubid=627427;price=%2414.35;title=Uvex+Genesis+Shooting+...;merc=OfficeMax;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.officemax.com%2Fcatalog%2Fimages%2F397x353%2F23865578i_01.jpg;width=95;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe><br /><br /><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-48291601471055925692013-05-01T22:35:00.001-04:002013-06-13T23:16:43.495-04:00Alternative Gardening <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><br />With the beginning of the growing season already here in most of the country, I thought I'd take a few minutes and share a couple methods of alternative gardening with you guys. One is super easy and highly productive and the other is a "full circle" complementary technique. Either of these works well, and will produce a "garden" but each strives to achieve a completely different goal.<br /><br /><br /> </span><br />
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<br /><br /> <br /> The first I want to tell you about is the "Straw Bale" technique in which one plants their garden in straw bales. Make sure you get straw bales if at all possible, hay bales still have the seeds in them and you will grow some nice grass with these, but if that is all you have, use hay bales. Growing a garden in great soil is tough work, but in soil like my 100% clay is next to impossible. I can't even get what is basically a weed (raspberries) to grow here. Other people run them over with a mower to try to get rid of them... I have been nursing mine for three years now and have YET to see a single berry! Alas, I digress. Using straw bales, you can grow anything you want with little effort.<br /><br />Straw bale gardening is about as easy as it comes. The hardest part is getting the bales! You can have the worst soil ever and grow a perfect small garden. It is also very "bad back" friendly as it makes for an elevated platform and you don't have to work the "soil" with hoes and rakes like you do with a dirt garden. Harvest time is also a breeze for things like potatoes where you just cut the sisal twine and break the bale open. Trust me when I say anyone can grow a nice vegetable garden using this method. <br /><br />The first thing to do is get your bales and get them conditioning. This process takes about two weeks. Simply put the bales where you want them (pokey side up, strings visible all the way around) and fertilize them with a good slathering of cow manure an inch or two deep. Now water them thoroughly. Keep them good and damp for two weeks. After that, they are ready for planting. <br /><br />Okay, okay... you can also use fertilizer. Sprinkle one quarter cup of ammonium nitrate on top daily and then soak with water. Stop adding ammonium nitrate on day ten and add one half cup of fertilizer for the next two days. The last two days you simply water the bales.<br /><br />Contrary to some internet chatter, this method is FANTASTIC for potatoes! Plant your potatoes three inches from the BOTTOM of the bale. The loose straw will let your potato stems shoot up and out and the potatoes will grow all through the bale. This mimics the "hilling" that potatoes require. They require this because unlike the common belief that they grow as roots, they actually grow on the stem of the plant. The more you hill the dirt around a stem the more potatoes you get. Planting at the bottom of the bale is just starting with pre-hilled plants. Why don't they plant potatoes in dirt 18 inches deep? Well, because farmers have common sense and it's easier to hill the plant as it grows than to dig an 18 inch deep hole every six inches long the row to plant them that deep. <br /><br />Most every other plant is planted just like using dirt... well, to be truthful, you will use some dirt. For planting seeds, you will add a layer of 50/50 potting soil and compost on top of the bale. For planting potted (started) plants, such as the ones on trays for the garden center, simply use a hand trowel and spread the straw (no added dirt here). Drop the potted plant into the straw to where the bottom set of leaves rests on the top of the straw and then push the straw closed. Easy right? <br /><br />A few pointers for you here: </span><br />
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<li>You must water these daily! Because the straw bales have a huge surface area they dry out quickly! Water them good every day in the evening. </li>
<li>Water them twice a day if it is really hot and dry for a couple days. </li>
<li>Once a month you need to add a drizzling of fertilizer to the top of the bale when you water. </li>
<li>Also if you place your bales with the long sides touching, you won't need to use as much water. </li>
<li>On each end of the "garden" at the end of each row with climbing plants you need to add a trellis. Simply drive a "T" post and add a 2x4 between the tops of the two posts. String baling wire between the posts every eight to ten inches going up the posts. If it is a long row (longer than eight feet) you will need to add more posts. </li>
<li>Last year's bales make this year's compost! </li>
<li>Use the bales with synthetic twine to extend the life of your bales. </li>
<li>If planting corn or sunflowers or any top-heavy plant, make sure to stake the plant to keep the wind from toppling the bale over. </li>
<li>Move the bales before the twine rots... unless you plan to make this spot a compost pile for next year, or you will be using a pitchfork. </li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next one I want to tell you about is the "Three Sisters" technique in which one plants a trio of plant that complement each other nutritionally. This method is a native American method used in the Iroquois tribes of the east. This is simply conventional gardening in dirt, but you plant groupings of sympathetic plants that help each other out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /> The basic gist of the story is that the three sisters watch over each other and help each other out. The corn helps the beans by providing a pole for them to climb, the squash helps the beans by sheltering the roots from the scorching sun using her leaves. The beans help the corn by supporting the stalk during the high winds using her vines. Something like that... the Three Sisters story and ceremonies eventually became Thanksgiving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The typical group called the three sisters and consists of corn, squash, and beans as stated above. They are all grown in the exact same hole. Space your plantings based on the diameter of the squash plant. Generally, about ten feet apart is adequate. One thing to keep in mind is that you cannot plant corn in one long row. It needs to be a group of corn for the sake of pollination. This can be overcome with the three sisters method by planting six corn stalks about a foot apart on the points of a six pointed star. Next plant six climbing beans between the corn plants, different varieties if you like. Lastly, plant three squash in the middle of the circle. There you have it! After everything sprouts and is growing well, thin it down to three corn, three beans, and one squash plant.<br /><br />There is also the "patch method" for planting the three sisters. This is simply planting a ten foot square area with a checkerboard pattern of the three plants. and letting it do its thing. The reason I don't care for this method is that it's like trying to harvest a jungle. I'd rather do several spot plantings using the method above.<br /><br />Let me talk for just a second about fertilizers too. Cow manure and chicken litter may sound gross to the average person, but these are God's fertilizers. I tend to advocate for DAIRY cow manure as opposed to steer manure. Often it is easier to get the steer manure because you are basically asking a farmer if you can go muck his feedlot. What farmer in his right mind is going to turn that down? A dairy farmer on the other hand would be letting you go into his FDA monitored milking facility, or he'd have to much it up for you beforehand. You might even be asked to pay for it at a dairy.<br /><br /><br /> So why dairy cow manure you ask? Well, a full HALF of every vitamin and mineral (nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus) that the cow eats goes out the south end a couple days later. They are also standing still and peeing and pooping on a concrete floor. It then gets all mixed together when it gets mucked out. The urine ensures that your fertilizer contains enough potassium, since that is primarily excreted in the pee rather than the poop. Cow manure also adds decomposing plant matter (compost) to the soil whereas chicken litter does not. It is rather low in value overall (like a 2-2-2 commercial fertilizer).<br /><br />Chicken litter (all the junk on the bottom of the chicken house) in VERY rich and should be used sparingly! Put too much on and you'll burn your plants to death. It contains three to five times the amount of nutrients as cow manure, except for potassium. Think of it as organic 7-7-2 fertilizer.<br /><br />Use the cow manure as a top dressing by lightly spreading it over the planted field, or adding a small amount to each plant hill. If you load it on and turn it into the soil in the fall when you plow your crops under it will be more efficient as this will give it time to leach into the soil a bit better. Using the direct application method you are only going to fertilize that tiny spot of dirt in that vast field. Using the loading method you are treating the entire field and it makes for a much more productive garden! It also makes for a lot more manure being needed!) I suggest the direct application method for a small garden plot of even potted gardens... use the field loading method for larger gardens where mechanical field turning will be used. One last note on cow manure; if you can you should compost your manure pile for a year before use and add grass clippings and shredded leaves to help boost the carbon and nitrogen content. Be sure to turn the pile every once in awhile as well.<br /><br />Use the chicken litter in the same manner as the cow manure, but much more sparingly. Chicken litter MUST be composted for a year prior to use to kill off the pathogens that are naturally found in it. Keep your pile moist and turned regularly. It is ready to use once it resembles crumbly soil. You can also mix it into other composted material to speed it along a bit.<br /><br />Enjoy your garden and share your rewards with those around you!</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-88220008372517200742013-04-28T21:36:00.001-04:002013-04-28T21:37:43.837-04:00Fire Safety! <br />
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Well, it's that time of year. People are going out practicing for the zombie apocalypse... AKA Camping. We are also out cleaning up after winter and getting rid of all the fallen limbs and trees. It is also that time of year when we set our neighbor's woods on fire with our errant embers. So today I want to take a bit of time and cover fire safety.<br />
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First off, let's talk about campfires. We all know how to do that safely right? And with the coming of the nicer weather of summer, we all want to get out and put our "man skills" to the test! One thing, if you are in an area with dry, hazardous conditions, don't do it! You can make it one weekend without a campfire. I mean, do YOU really want to be the guy that caused the fire that burns 17 homes and killed an elderly couple? Thought not. Below are some other reminder points<br />
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One of the easiest way to prevent a forest fire caused by your campfire is proper site selection. In this regard remember to keep at least 15 feet between your fire to your tent or camper. Also be aware of lower overhead branches that might catch fire and avoid steep hillsides and hilltops. If it is possible select a site that is on the upwind side of a creek. Lastly, use the existing fire rings if they are there.<br />
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If there aren't any fire rings in place, you will need to create a fire pit. You need to select a site that is out of open, windy conditions, and where the wind blows laterally to your tent or camper. Now clear a ten foot circle of anything that will burn such as twigs, loose grass, and trash. In the center dig a flat bottomed hole about three to four feet in diameter and a foot or so deep. Use the dirt to berm up the edges and line the berm with rocks if you have them. Keep your shovel handy, but out of the way, and keep a five gallon bucket of water handy. These are your firefighter tools for when the emergency happens! Lastly, if you use a wooden fire poker, dip it before and after you use it in your water to prevent the possibility of unnoticed embers on the end.<br />
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Now you're all set! Just remember to use well seasoned hardwoods and to avoid "poppy" woods such as pine that will blow large coals well clear of your fire ring! Might I also suggest the "Upside down fire" technique for a long lasting and easy fire? <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjBfzyz-xM8">Yes, I might.</a> <--- click here. (it is also available on our YouTube channel)<br />
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Okay, now your fire is going. I know everyone loves to build a huge, raging bonfire of a campfire, but we gotta knock that off. That is a wildfire in the making! Keep it just large enough to keep you warm and to roast the marshmallows! Manageable... that's the word we are looking for.<br />
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A brief word here on wildfires. Think it can't happen to you because you don't live in a desert or on the side of a mountain? I kind of thought the same way until last year. In May of 2012, we had one of the largest wildfires of the year for the NATION! It happened about an hour's drive from my home and we had smoke so thick on some days that you could only see a quarter mile nearly 60 miles from the fire. This is in Michigan. Not Colorado, or Montana. Not SoCal. Michigan. In the end it burned over 22 thousand acres and 115 structures, many of which were homes. It CAN happen to you. (More here: <a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/duck_lake_firefighter_michigan.html">Duck Lake Fire</a>)<br />
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Okay, back on topic. Now you have a campfire, only thing left is extinguishing it. The tried and true method of peeing on it and then tossing dirt over it is the way to go... if you want a campfire in an hour or two when the wind picks up. Here's my fool proof safe method. Make the wood in the firepit float. Drown it. How do you know it is safe to leave you ask? Stick your hand into the heart of the coals. Scared to do it? Then you didn't use enough water. Start over... creek is over there. ---><br />
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The next fire I want to discuss is a debris fire. First things first, call the fire department and see if there are fire restrictions in your area and to ask if you need to obtain a burn permit. Nothing better than a worried neighbor calling 911 because she thinks your barn is on fire and having the fire truck come roaring in, see everything is under control, and then ask to see your permit. Next thing you know, your fire you spent a hour trying to get lit is OUT and so wet it'll be a week before it'll burn again. <br />
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To safely burn debris, you first need to be careful where you pile it. Look up to see if there are power lines or phone lines overhead. Check for any limbs overhead. Unlike a campfire that can have higher up limbs over the fire, a debris fire can light anything overheard for up to 50 feet in the right conditions. Next you want to be 50 feet from any building, vehicle, or tree. Clear ten feet of area completely around the pile down to bare earth. You should have a garden hose on standby... and have the valve open at the faucet. Lastly, stay with your fire! If you have to leave, put it out just like a campfire. <br />
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Last things I want to cover are your equipment and your home. Be careful when using outdoor power equipment such as a chainsaw or a weed eater. These can start a fire if placed on top of dry grass of needles. When parking your car, be cognizant of what you are parking in. If you park on top of a pile of leaves or a bunch of grass, you can also start a fire. As far as your home is concerned, drown your charcoal from your grill before discarding them. Haul your trash away instead of burning if possible. If you must burn it, use a proper steel barrel with adequate ventilation holes (three equally spaced three by three holes, three inches from the bottom), and a fire screen on top of heavy gauge 1/4 or smaller hole.<br />
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As far as you home's lawn and your home itself is concerned, check out the what the guys at <a href="http://www.firewise.org/information/who-is-this-for/homeowners.aspx">Firewise Communities</a> has to say about it. They actually have a wealth of information over there that anyone can benefit from! <br />
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So to rehash :<br />
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- Clear away anything that CAN burn in all directions.<br />
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- Keep all fires small, and do not leave before you can put your hand into the heart of the coals.<br />
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- Be sure and drown fires with water, and add water until everything is wet.<br />
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- Do not simply cover a campfire with soil; it may simply smolder before coming back to life.<br />
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- Embers can re-ignite. Make sure they are out completely. Make them float!<br />
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- Consider composting or mulching yard debris and hauling away trash rather than burning it.<br />
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- Anytime you plan to build a fire, have water and a tool to put it out before you ignite it.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-53281987049705068052013-04-20T22:01:00.003-04:002013-05-03T23:43:51.577-04:00Stopping Power<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Having just read a pretty good article on stopping power for weapons, mostly involving pistols, I thought I'd share my view on stopping power.<br />
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My opinion is a bit different on this topic because I look at a couple of factors that are a bit different and outside the norms that most people subscribe to. I feel that a single round is a great way to judge the stopping power of a firearm... if you only have one round. With only one round there is no need to take anything else into consideration. You don't need to have the ability to rapidly get back on target to achieve follow up shots. There is no need to consider the controllability of the caliber in that particular firearm. Any firearm is totally controllable for that first round. I could shoulder fire and control an 81mm mortar for one round. I'd be gathering bone fragments at the hospital when I regained consciousness in a few days, but it was controllable for that one round. <br />
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So what exactly do I look at in terms of stopping power? First off, I guess I had better define MY definition for stopping power. Stopping Power is: The ability for YOU to stop the actions of another. How easy is that? Even a drinking straw has stopping power. Stab someone in the eye with one and see if he stops. Told you... stopping power. Okay, all kidding aside, I am really talking about firearms and your ability to stop a threat with one.<br />
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The ten things I look for in determining stopping power are listed below and we will be talking about each of them, but first I just want to say that you and I will all mentally evaluate these things to one extent or another every time we are in a situation in which someone needs to have their actions stopped. We may not consciously go down the list but we all do this... near instantly. The ten are:<br />
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<li>Objective of The Combination</li>
<li>Your Ability</li>
<li>The Average Encounter</li>
<li>His Ability</li>
<li>Total Energy of The Round</li>
<li>Bullet's Performance</li>
<li>Shot Placement</li>
<li>Penetration of Intended Target</li>
<li>Controllability of Combination</li>
<li>Total Round Capacity</li>
<li>Ease of Firearm Reloading</li>
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So let's walk through an average self defense type situation from the viewpoint of the inside of your head:<br />
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(Holy crap. That dude is robbing the store with that knife. Man that's a big dude, he's ripped. He obviously knows what he's doing with that knife, look how he's handling it. Oh shit... he's going to kill that clerk. I gotta stop this NOW. I can't do this barehanded... I gotta go to my pistol. Man, that's a big dude. I know I can get it done with this LCP but I gotta put 'em in the ten ring. Sight alignment, sight picture. Squeeze squeeze squeeze squeeze. BANG! Man, he dropped like a sack of taters. That was a big dude. Okay... break my tunnel vision, finger off the trigger, look around for other threats. Good, nobody here... yet. Reload in case his buddies come in... mag swap. Get the new mag in my hand, used mag out, new mag in, retain the mag with the missing round. Okay... somebody needs to call the cops... That dude over there is calling them. I should tell him to tell them that I'm the good dude here and what I'm wearing... ) Verbally now- STAY DOWN! DON'T MOVE! IF YOU MOVE I WILL SHOOT YOU AGAIN!!! (moves attention to the guy calling while maintaining observation of the bad guy) SIR! Is that 911 on your phone?! Tell them I shot the guy one time in the spine, he's down and needs medics. He had a knife and was trying to kill the clerk. I'm the guy wearing the yellow jacket and blue hat! I will put my weapon away as they approach! (moves attention back) SIR! DO NOT FREAKIN MOVE!<br />
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Nope, no verbal warning. That's how it'll happen. All that in 2/10ths of a second. Hyper slow motion. Trust me, I promise you will have that entire conversation in your head in a situation like the one described. But did you do your evaluation of the points I brought up earlier? Let's see.<br />
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<li>Objective of The Combination: I want to stop the average threat with the least effort and the most effectiveness. But because it's a tiny little thing I can and will comfortably carry it all summer. Good thing I have it with me today!</li>
<li>Your Ability: I am better than an average shooter and would feel competent to hit a paper plate at 15 feet under high levels of stress. While I'm a rather good shooter, this is a itty bitty pistol. I know I can make this shot from six feet I am sure of it!</li>
<li>The Average Encounter: Less than 21 feet, usually closer. Usually involving an average sized, more athletic than average, male between 16 and 35 years of age. This dude is six feet away, 5 feet 9 inches, 195 pounds, stacked, a male, and about 25 years old.</li>
<li>His Ability: Does he appear to be in control and does he look competent with whatever he is doing? Does he appear to be in better shape than me? Much better? Stronger? Faster? Yeah, he knows what he's doing, look at that knife usage, and he is in much better shape than me... no hand to hand combat here. Gun time!</li>
<li>Total Energy of The Round: What round am I carrying? Does it pack the punch needed to drop this dude, from this angle and distance? What if I gotta have follow up shots? Multiple follow ups? It is a hot loaded, 95 grain Golddot .380, but I wish I had my 10mm with anything right now... but where would I have stowed a full size 10mm in a tee-shirt and a pair of shorts? Good thing I do have my LCP.</li>
<li>Bullet's Performance: Is this bullet going to penetrate that heavy leather jacket and still perform as intended to perform in naked flesh? I guess we'll see. I hope all my research into the .380 ammo I am carrying was right.</li>
<li>Shot Placement: I need to hit this guy square in the spine if I can, but if I miss just a bit it is still in the ten ring of the center of the chest. If he doesn't instantly drop like a sack of taters, I'll need to repeat the shot. Slow steady squeeeeeeeze. </li>
<li>Penetration of Intended Target: It it misses his spine will it make it deep enough to take out his heart? What if it misses his spine but hits a rib? Will it still make it to his heart? My research says it will.</li>
<li>Controllability of Combination: What if he doesn't instantly drop? Can I quickly get back into that ten ring and accurately squeeze another round or two or three into him? Yes, I can do that. </li>
<li>Total Round Capacity: Crap! Only seven rounds here... wish I had my Glock with a normal capacity of 16 rounds instead of my reduced seven round capacity. BANG! Well, only took one... so far.</li>
<li>Ease of Firearm Reloading: Danm... I wish I could control my hands better. There we go, new mag out of the pocket. Current mag out of the pistol. New mag in and back toward the threat. Now, old mag into the pocket. There we go. Gotta remember five rounds still there if his buddies show up.</li>
</ul>
See, we touched on each and every one of those didn't we? Told you we would. <br />
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Now just so we can be clear, I also have my own version of how to determine a pistol and ammo's stopping ability. Similar to the above, but without "you" in the equation but dependant on your ability. This works for anything from a little .25 ACP to a .500 S&W. It is also a measurement that can be put into writing so it makes people feel more comfortable.<br />
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This is how it works:<br />
<b>Total Potential Energy</b> is the maximum energy of the selected round multiplied by the total number of rounds in the firearm. Also, to factor in controllability and your ability to manipulate the firearm quickly, you multiply by 1 plus the percentage (1.75 for 75%) of the chance that you can complete the following: Starting with the weapon in hand and off safe, can you empty it and reload in four seconds with the reload that is on the bench in front of you and put all the rounds into a 8 inch paper plate at 5 feet. OR if you expend 12 or more rounds without running out of ammo in the firearm, multiply by 2. Also, add one round to the total capacity for every round shot after the reload prior to the four second limit.<br />
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If you can't empty it one time in the four seconds and get in a reload, you multiply by 1 minus the percentage of rounds remaining (0.70 if 30% of rounds remain). Remember, FOUR seconds. If you can't get them all off and get the reload, take one round out of the mag or cylinder and try it again. Keep doing that until you get the reload done. Those removed rounds are subtracted just like unfired rounds. (Harder than it sounds... try reloading a .38 by hand in under four seconds sometime.) Because it is based on the percentage of the chance that YOU can complete the task, it is an personalized number. Some pistols are easier to work with than others and some are impossible to get all the rounds off. Try it with all you favorite pistols and see if it doesn't work for you too.</div>
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Examples:<br />
<ul>
<li>Beretta Cougar 25ACP- 10 round capacity. 10 x 63 ft/lbs (Hornady 35 grain XTPs) = 630 x 1.40 (40% Chance of getting all ten off and getting reloaded in four seconds) <br /><b>882 wey's</b> (<--- some of you will get that, everyone else will just have to pretend it is a highly scientific term).</li>
<li>Ruger 22/45 22 LR- 11 round capacity. 11 x 126 ft/lbs (Stingers) = 1386 x 1.75 ( adds 75% for chance of completion). Notice this is actually right there with a .38 snubby....<br /><b>2426 wey's. </b></li>
<li>S&W .38 snubby- 5 rounds at 251 ft/lbs (Cor-Bon 125 grain +P) = 1255 x 1.95 =<br /><b>2447 wey's</b> WITH a speed loader. <br />Or <br /><b>1317 wey's</b> reloading (x 1.00) by speed strips, or x 0.80 by hand for 1004 wey's.</li>
<li>Ruger LCP .380ACP- 7 rounds at 267 ft/lbs (Buffalo Bore 95 grain +P+ GD HPs) = 1869 x 1.90 (adds 90% for chance of completion)<br /><b>3551 wey's</b>.</li>
<li>Colt 1911 .45 ACP- 8 rounds at 405 ft/lbs (Federal Premium 230 grain HSTs) = 3240 x 1.95= <b>6318 wey's </b></li>
<li>S&W 500- 5 rounds at 2877 ft/lbs (Winchester 400 grain Platinum Tip HP) = 14,385 x 0.66 (33% of rounds were not fired in 3 seconds.)<br /><b>9494 wey's</b></li>
<li>H&K P-2000 .40 S&W- 13 rounds at 492 ft/lbs (Winchester 155 grain JHPs) = 6396 x 2 (over 12 round capacity rule)<br /><b>12,792 wey's.</b></li>
<li>Sig Sauer P228 9mm- 15 rounds at 410 ft/lbs (Speer 124 grain +P GD HPs) = 6970 x 2 (over 12 round capacity rule) <br /><b>13,120 wey's.</b></li>
<li>Colt Delta Elite 10mm- 10 rounds at 782 ft/lbs (Buffalo Bore 180 grain HPs) = 7820 x 1.95 = <b>15,249 wey's.</b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span>These are my personal numbers and your's will not be the same.</b></li>
</ul>
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So you see, not every pistol stacks up as the ultimate self defense weapon. Some folks would have considered the huge 500 Smith as the ultimate, but in the end controllability killed it. If I can't get the rounds off, what good does it do you? The opposite side of that coin is the .22 LR pistol. Full controllability and an easy reload made for a great combination that scored pretty highly. <br />
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Basically what this formula does is sort out the very best of the middle of the pack. It is highly dependant on YOUR ability to operate the weapon, the ammo, and the weapons controllability. These are all high performance personal defense loads shown above. Drop down to a lesser load and the controllability will increase, but the energy will decrease.<br />
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If you notice, the 10mm out scored everything, and many would be skeptical of the results. This is from a customized Colt Delta Elite which is basically a 1911 in a different caliber. Because of the weight the controllability is still very good as that heft soaks up a lot of the recoil. Even then, the recoil isn't that bad to begin with. It is also a fairly large capacity, and a really high energy level. It is MY absolute highest rated personal defense weapon because it is all I can physically do to get off all ten rounds, drop the mag and send another mag home in four seconds. With harder recoiling loads in this same pistol, this becomes impossible and I can't get the reload done.<br />
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Anyway, hope this helps someone out there. Give this a try on your next range outing and see what really works for you. <br />
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Wonder what Jerry Miculek's wey's are? </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-22925173075203633042013-04-17T21:43:00.000-04:002013-04-22T12:32:45.953-04:00Terror AttacksIn response to April 15th/ Tax Day/ Boston Marathon/ Patriot's Day Bombing this year, I thought I'd touch on how to avoid getting into a terror situation to begin with, and what to do after.<br />
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There are nine types of terrorist attacks- Bombings, Arson, Sky Jacking, Hijacking, Maiming, Assassination, Riot, Kidnapping, and Hostage Taking. You can fall victim to one of these at any time because no amount of caution can keep you safe from a coward that is set on hurting people. Especially one that is also intent on killing himself in the process. We as human beings tend to subconsciously believe that all people are inherently good. This is what makes terror attacks so successful.<br />
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The first thing that you need to do is be prepared. Have your <a href="http://www.patriotunderground.net/2013/04/the-one-day-everyday-pack.html">Everyday Pack</a> with you. Also, have your weapon if you can carry lawfully... or carry it unlawfully, but have a weapon. I do not advocate breaking the law, but I recognize that some people still carry without a permit for personal reasons. If you are one of those guys, just be ready to take yo<span style="font-family: inherit;">ur lumps when they come. I would ho</span>wever like to point out that it doesn't have to be a conventional weapon that a permit is required for in the first place. Cold Steel makes some really nice walking sticks!<br />
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Now that you are prepared for your day and you are heading out, you should have a terrorist attack pep talk with yourself. You need to realize that you can only be so careful and prepared. Nobody can remove all the risk from every day and from every activity. Bad guys are going to do bad things sometimes. You should just acknowledge this simple fact and your day will be much less stressful. Once you close the door behind you and head out to face reality, you need to look like you are ready to conquer the world and eat babies. Your body language is the most significant deterring factor you will ever possess. When you look like a hard target, one that will put up a hard fight, the bad guys will find another target. A soft target. Don't be soft, be hard!<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
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There are few things you can do to help prevent your becoming involved in someone else's terror plot. The primary two are to stay moving and to be alert to your surroundings. It is extraordinarily difficult to hit a moving target. This includes terrorist attacks. It is hard for someone to attempt to kidnap you, or maim you, or assassinate you if you are in constant motion. If you are stopped in a large crowd watching the finish at a race, you are a sitting duck. The next thing to the be vigilant. Watch for anything strange or out of the ordinary for whatever location you happen to be in. A truck driver parking his rig in front of a Best Western is pretty normal. A truck driver parking his rig in front of a five star hotel housing the UN delegates Not so much. Same goes for people going into locations. A pizza guy going into a hotel, normal. A pizza guy going into a movie theater, strange. Either of these should send you into condition red.<br />
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The next thing that you have to deal with is stopping in public. Constant motion is great... if you are a shark. People have to stop and eat and what-not. When you stop to eat, evaluate your surroundings. Take note of the two closest exits, and obstacles that you may encounter getting to then. (What's worse, having to explain why you ran out through the kitchen and had to come back around to the front door to pay the tab, or blowing up because you sat there ten seconds to long?) Also take note of where the most likely entrance for trouble is. Try to position yourself away from the entrance, and as close to an alternative exit as possible. Also be out of the center of the room with the door to your front. The old "back to the wall trick" still works hundreds of years later!<br />
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Occasionally, you will find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being stopped in a large sitting duck type crowd. This doesn't have to mean standing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. This could be at the Justin Beaver concert with your kid. It could be stopped in rush hour traffic in downtown Houston, Texas. How about the local air show? Any stopped crowd is a sitting duck, and a sitting duck is a terrorist's wet dream; especially if it happens to occupy a "Gun Free Zone" where he knows he will encounter very little resistance if any. Try to avoid being a sitting duck.<br />
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Be aware that while we like to believe that terrorists are dumb, they are not. They understand crowd dynamics and they know how to get the best bang for their buck... hardee har har. If you are ever in a situation such as the Boston attack, be aware of what direction the crowd is going. You should take a lateral route 90 degrees to the direction they are coming from and the way they are going. An experienced or a studied terrorists will set up secondary devices (such as the second plane into the Trade Center or the second bomb in Boston) to catch a larger portion of the crowd.<br />
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Speaking of crowd dynamics, think of the Boston bombings. Knowing the crowd would be gathered at the finish line he set his first smaller improvised explosive device just away from the line so that when it went off it would drive the crowd to other way. He set his second larger device down the block and had enough delay to allow the crowd to get there and jam up with the crowd trying to figure out what happened back down the block. It was also in the area far enough away from the original so that people fleeing would begin to think they were now in the safe zone and would stop running. In any situation, the presents of a secondary device is definitive proof that you are in a terrorist attack.<br />
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After the Attack<br />
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Being a hero is fine if that's the way you want to go out. Get caught by the secondary device and you are just another dead statistic. Situation dictates. If you want to see your family and friends again the best advice ever is unass the area. <br />
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First thing is to develop a plan of escape. Just like when taking pictures the old fashioned way, your <a href="http://www.patriotunderground.net/2013/03/are-you-ready.html">previously established plan</a> for every situation is just the film. It needs to be developed into a picture to get the end result. Apply the new situation to your existing plan and see what develops. Then follow that plan but be ready to adapt when a new situation arises. Then you have to develop a new picture, and start following the new plan.<br />
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One of the very primary things is to understand where you are in relation to where you want to be. Know that people in a panic run in a herd away from the event. If you must go the way they are coming from, you will have to go around them. Do not try to run against the herd, or across the flow of the herd. You will die. You will get knocked down and trampled to death. Think it can't happen? Watch some Walmart coverage on November 26th this year... happens every year. If you have to cross a moving herd, just like crossing a raging river, you do not fight the flow. Go with the flow... and slowly work your way across the current to the far side. Once out of the herd, be hyper vigilant and work your way to your destination.<br />
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Also take into account hazardous environments that may be impeding your progress to safety. Remember that some gasses float and some gasses sink. If you run into an invisible and odorless cloud of deadly gas that is heavier than air because you went down into the ditch to avoid a herd, you will just become another victim. Always stay out of the downwind and low lying areas. Also, just like in JAWS, don't go into the water. It may not be water flowing down the street at all. That may be gasoline. Speeding cars need to be watched closely. People totally forget the rules of the road during situations such as these and become potential hazards. Downed electrical wire are another potential hazard you need to watch out for. Falling debris is yet another. Hazardous environments come in many fashions. <br />
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Travel Abroad<br />
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If you must travel or feel compelled to travel abroad there are a few extra things to do to be safer than your average bear. One thing you want to do regardless is to have photocopies of all your legal documents and a stash of cash that are not on your person. If you are accosted and the bad guys take all your dinero and travel docs with them, you are in for a severe headache. That's just basic stuff there though. To become less of a target in foreign countries you need to follow certain suggestions. <br />
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First, before you even leave for your trip, check the current <a href="http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html">travel warnings</a> for where you are going, and also check the ones for any country to have to land in or drive through to get there. Next, you want to keep a low profile. I admire patriotism at all times. That doesn't mean I advertise it by wearing a big ass flag on my shirt while visiting Azerbaijan ! You want to blend in. If all the men in said country are wearing white linen shirts, Panama Jack hats, and gold rimmed aviator sunglasses, guess what you should be wearing? You got it! Even if you are at the Olympics and everyone is wearing a flag on their shirt, do you really want to help the bad guy identify you as a target? Also remember that a good rule of thumb is business casual. Most every other country in the world dresses more conservative than the U.S. and a tee-shirt with Zac Brown on it will trip flags every time.<br />
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Last.... have a backup plan for any plan.<br />
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I get asked this one on a regular basis too it seems.<br />
"What size shot do you think I should use for _________?"<br />
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My answer is always the same.<br />
"Depends on your choke, your gauge, the area, and your proficiency."<br />
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I guess it kind of goes downhill from there because when someone doesn't even know how to select what size shot to use for... let's just use grouse and a 12 gauge for the sake of the remainder of this article. When they don't know what size to use for grouse and you start talking to them about choke selection and shot size selection and then they get all offended when you ask them to be honest about their proficiency, well it makes it hard to give them a proper answer. It's also impossible to explain the science that puts it all together if he doesn't understand the basics.<br />
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What it all boils down to is shot density, on target, at range, and your ability to put it there.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUExQV01mZuniKVpzrPE2mIMzMMBO6WbLf1qe1m4x0wYa3ZpEByGWmDTOsV0n7w2VudaIhZJHAGx2qrGT3QcQzB5Fhsyyy8O2kUqYhV1q8g8d2FDaz67FlSkZnCB06l096sdk3VY3HQE/s1600/Apple.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUExQV01mZuniKVpzrPE2mIMzMMBO6WbLf1qe1m4x0wYa3ZpEByGWmDTOsV0n7w2VudaIhZJHAGx2qrGT3QcQzB5Fhsyyy8O2kUqYhV1q8g8d2FDaz67FlSkZnCB06l096sdk3VY3HQE/s1600/Apple.png" /></a>Here's the deal, shotguns, just like race cars have multiple ways to achieve the same results. Each change gives you a benefit in one area, but each change also takes something from another area. "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." which is Newton's Third Law. <br />
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Here is your redneck physics lesson for the day: When you add more down force in the rear wing of a race car, it results in more traction on the driving wheels making the car stick to the track better in the turns. On the other hand, you get more wind resistance and more rolling resistance which make the car slower overall. What you end up with is a car that is really fast in the turns because it sticks to the track, but it is slow on the straights. The other racer took some angle out of his wing and is now faster on the straights, but has to go slower in the turns. Both drivers end up with identical lap times, but it make it easier on each driver who can then capitalize on his strengths. Next time you watch NASCAR pay attention to Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle when they get to running together. One will run off and leave the other through the turns, but by the end of the next straight the other is right back on him. Redneck physics. <br />
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The same applies to chokes and shot selection. Before we get into the heart of the matter, let's clarify some things first. Chokes are like a nozzle on your garden hose. The more it squeezes (chokes) the water, the tighter the stream of water that squirts out. There are six rather standard chokes that you can use. Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Improved Cylinder, Skeet, and Cylinder Bore. Understand that there are others, but we will just discuss these six.<br />
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A Full choke is your garden hose with the smallest stream, and a Skeet choke is the hose with the widest spray pattern. The rest are somewhere in the middle of these two. Cylinder Bore is absolutely no choke and is represented by the hose without any nozzle at all.<br />
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Now your gun's gauge is what size of water hose you are using. A 12 gauge is the big, fat, rubber hose from Lowe's and a 20 gauge is the little small plastic hose from Big Lots. There are hoses that are bigger than these and hoses that are smaller, but each hose squirts water the same distance, just less of it. Same with shotguns. The velocity of most shotguns using standard length shells is remarkably similar at around 1250 feet per second, only the amount of shot being used is different. They can't put as much shot into a .410 "gauge" shell as they can is a 10 gauge shell, but they <i>can</i> make the shot travel the same speed. (Speaking of .410, it is actually a caliber and not a gauge size. If it were a gauge it would be a 68 Gauge.)<br />
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As long as we are on the subject of gauge, gauge is determined by the number of lead balls the diameter of the bore that it would take to equal one pound. The bore of a 20 Gauge is 0.625 inches and it would take 20 lead balls that size to equal one pound. A .410 is a caliber in that point 4-1-0 is the measurement of the bore diameter. See, the .410 was originally designed back in the late 1880's as a rifle and not a shotgun. As more and more people found the usefulness of the shot cartridges loaded for the rifle it became more popular as a shotgun than as a rifle. The venerable 44-40 also had shotgun loadings during this same time. <br />
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Okay, moving on. Your ability to put shot on a target at range and your ability to manage recoil is what determines what gauge shotgun you need. For the sake of keeping it simple, we are going to presume that we are all average shooters here that are able to hit a target. Your ability to manage recoil is a different story. I have watched big dudes get pounded shooting small shotguns. I have also watched cute little ladies own a 12 gauge. It is all about technique... and that is something you will have to work on by yourself. Gauge selection all comes down to one's individual ability to preform in this two areas. Unfortunately, you can't receive shotgunning lessons via written instruction, so we'll move on.<br />
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Shot density is the pepper on the mashed potatoes... little black holes in a piece of white paper. It is the next consideration and it is simply the number of shot pellets inside a set area at a set range. This density on target is what determines the choke "sizes" and what choke you need to use. Shot density and patterning are typically done at the same time. Density is measured on a paper target four feet square with a single shot from 40 yards range that is fired from a support at a dot in the exact center of the target. Around that spot, you use a fifteen inch long string to draw a 30 inch circle. The pattern is the evenness of the shot inside that circle. A Full Choke will put 70% in it, Modified is about 60%, Skeet about 50%, Cylinder Bore about 40%. Easy enough right?<br />
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Alright, let's start mixing this up then. The range in which 65% of the shot fall into a 30 inch circle is the standard for determining the range of the choke. The maximum <b>effective</b> range is what is more important because it is determined by the number of shot in your game. So let's say that you are shooting high-brass #6 shells and that 65% of the shot from your 12 gauge hit inside that 30 inch circle using a Improved Modified choke at 40 yards and you are hunting grouse as we stated earlier. There should be enough pellets, say six or eight, in your pattern to bring that grouse down humanely. On the other hand if you are hunting doves there will probably not be enough in the pattern to do it. The pattern didn't change. The yardage didn't change. The size of the target is what changed.<br />
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<a href="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Gunnutz13/avatars/AMMO/choketargetdistance-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Gunnutz13/avatars/AMMO/choketargetdistance-1.jpg" /></a><br />
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So how do we put enough shot into that dove at 40 yards? Well, we can increase the number of shot in the shell by increasing the shell length to a 3 inch magnum, but that's more recoil. We can increase the number of shot by decreasing the size of the shot to #7 shot, but then you lose energy. Or just as easily, we could simply increase the tightness of the pattern by going to the Full Choke tube, but then you have a 25 inch circle of shot. Believe me, 25 inches is pretty small at 40 yards!<br />
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Concerning shot size selection, energy retained in the shot as well as hardiness of the game is what determines the shot size needed. If you are shooting tough pheasant roosters on the wing, you want a shot that is heavy enough to carry sufficient energy to penetrate the feathers and still go through the body. Heaver shot carries more energy, however there are also less shot in the pattern. Little sissy birds like doves don't need as much energy and you can therefore use a smaller shot to get more pellets in the bird.<br />
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<img src="http://www.firearmsid.com/jpgs/A_dist1.jpg" /><img height="280" src="http://www.shotgunworld.com/shot_sizes.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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There are many considerations regarding types of shot to use. The advantages and disadvantages of lead compared to steel, and steel compared to bismuth has been debated at great length over the last 25 years. Be aware that migratory fowl all require nontoxic shot and also be aware of your local regulations when picking a shot type. Steel shot tends to shoot tighter patterns due to less barrel deformation. Lead carries more energy for the same size shot. You can go online and search for just a second or two and find thousands of debates about shot types. I tend to use lead whenever it is a legal option. It is easier on your teeth. (Speaking of meat prep, look for the little shot hole in the meat and account for every pellet you can in the meat... then run a metal detector over it.) <br />
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Okay, last one. Back to your ability. Once you learn recoil management, your ability to actually center the shot pattern on the target is the main determining factor in gauge size, shell size, and choke size. Shot size is actually rather easy... look at the picture on the box of shells. A better shooter can use a tighter choke and smaller shot than a poor shooter. Doing this he gets more shot in the bird. He can also decide to shoot a smaller gauge with a tighter choke with the same shot size and still get more shot in the bird. <br />
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While it may be cool to go out and hammer away at doves all day with 3 1/2 inch magnums, that evening you will pay for it! Meanwhile the old geezer in your group that shot just as many rounds from a 28 gauge and took just as many doves will be laughing at you. He'll also out shoot you tomorrow because he won't be so sore!<br />
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All this info here is written using birds as the example, but remember they are just the example. The same applies to big game such as deer and large birds such as turkey and geese. <br />
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One last word of warning... Do NOT shoot slugs through any choke tighter than an Improved Cylinder. Doing so will damage your barrel, your choke, your face, your hand, or all the above. If available, always use a Cylinder Bore choke or barrel with slugs, or if you can afford it, buy a rifled slug barrel.<br />
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I hope this helps somebody out in their selections. Feel free to share this around and Happy Hunting!<br />
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<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B7012802.11918;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802464032;pid=58E6-04-30;usg=AFHzDLuwvA88znWYLSPm0vq5ApHTPxaV-Q;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.orvis.com%252Fstore%252Fproduct.aspx%253Fpf_id%253D58E6%2526cm_mmc%253DFroogle*Prod_feeds*Prod_feeds*12082;pubid=627427;price=%24470.00;title=Orvis+Fly-Fishing+Scho...;merc=Orvis;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.orvis.com%2Forvis_assets%2Fprodimg%2F58E6main.jpg;width=110;height=75" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B7012802.11916;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802464032;pid=6C15-08-00;usg=AFHzDLsI6hRNc8mAw8jnHd6ibjHI87RCWw;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.orvis.com%252Fstore%252Fproduct.aspx%253Fpf_id%253D6C15%2526cm_mmc%253DFroogle*Prod_feeds*Prod_feeds*12082;pubid=627427;price=%2439.00;title=Orvis+Three+Box+Shell+...;merc=Orvis;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.orvis.com%2Forvis_assets%2Fprodimg%2F6C151W.jpg;width=85;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B7012802.11928;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802464032;pid=3522-01-53;usg=AFHzDLtPLtVt7onHiqFrs82r7FBL6_xCqA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.orvis.com%252Fstore%252Fproduct.aspx%253Fpf_id%253D3522%2526cm_mmc%253DFroogle*Prod_feeds*Prod_feeds*12082;pubid=627427;price=%24139.00;title=Orvis+Convertible+Dove...;merc=Orvis;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.orvis.com%2Forvis_assets%2Fprodimg%2F3522HS9.jpg;width=85;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-53290631090895263812013-04-11T17:39:00.001-04:002013-04-12T22:36:54.634-04:00Tornado!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, here we are again. Coming into the heart of tornado season. Here are some helpful facts and tips that will help you survive another year.<br />
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Most every state in the U.S of A. has tornadoes. Some have more, some less. Some have stronger ones, some lesser ones. They all have tornadoes that can kill you given the right circumstances! Be ready to take the necessary precautions and ready to seek shelter whenever the need arises. Even if you are in an area of the map below that "never" has tornadoes, at least take a second or two and "What if" it. Where would you take shelter right now? I mean where exactly, RIGHT NOW! See? That wasn't so hard was it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDiVimVSDvq5-cEfXMqtfDJVyFxyJVdJnZZLkaGWrolweMI8GH68pc7AoRl6UVE8uvaCzw8AHeEWZVoHfWomCHevljify_m9HNN7apreT6oSd5eaitamJLIf2UmQo1UqaENutknvBJqE/s1600/Tornado_Alley.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDiVimVSDvq5-cEfXMqtfDJVyFxyJVdJnZZLkaGWrolweMI8GH68pc7AoRl6UVE8uvaCzw8AHeEWZVoHfWomCHevljify_m9HNN7apreT6oSd5eaitamJLIf2UmQo1UqaENutknvBJqE/s1600/Tornado_Alley.gif" /></a><br />
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What goes into a good tornado plan? Just like a school has a tornado drill and a tornado plan, you should have one for your home too. The very first step in developing this plan is to designate your safe room. This needs to be the smallest, strongest room without windows on the very lowest level of your house. If you have a basement, it will be down there. If not, it will probably be a closet or bathroom on the ground level.<br />
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Inside your safe room, you should have prepared and stowed your tornado kit. You did make one of these right? If not here's what you should prepare for a kit: First thing, a crank type weather radio! Got to stay informed! At the very least a battery powered weather radio, that is pre-tuned to your area's weather warning center. Next is a few emergency candles with several boxes of weatherproof matches, and a large LED Mag-lite. You will also stash several blankets and pillows, a First Aid kit of sufficient size for your family, sturdy shoes (preferably boots) and leather gloves for each family member, whatever stash of small bill cash you can afford and are comfortable with (Banks may not be open and credit card lines may be down), a couple gallons of water, two MRE's per person, and lastly, a spare set of keys to every vehicle you own. Keys to your truck that remains mostly untouched in the carport that still stands right where it was, those keys that are in the house that just blew three miles away aren't of much use! Also toss in an entertainment package with a book or two, a board game, and a deck of cards. One more thing you might consider is putting all your medication into a zipped shower bag that you can grab at a moments notice, or even putting a couple doses in a separate bottle that is stored inside your tornado kit, just remember to rotate them when you get a new bottle.<br />
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While we are talking about preparing, if you live in one of those red areas above, or even an orange one, you should consider building an underground tornado shelter or a purpose built safe room. FEMA has regulations for both shelters and safe room designs, and fines to go with them. They also have designs for them but you are looking at two to five thousand bucks to build one of those. <br />
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Some of us can't afford that. If they can recommend "getting into a ditch or low lying area", I can recommend putting a length of three foot concrete pipe into one and covering it over with dirt. I can also recommend putting an elbow onto one end so that debris cannot fly right into the shelter portion. I can also recommend closing the far end of it up with a poured four inch reinforced concrete slab and covering that with dirt. You must close that end, even if that is just covering it over with two pieces of 3/4 inch marine grade plywood and piling dirt against that. I'd also recommend two feet of length per person on the long side of the "L" plus about three feet to get away from the 90 degree elbow. Couple of tips here... Make sure there is a bit of slope to it so there isn't a lake in the end, and be aware that critters and wasps will love this... check it for residents often during storm season. Unless you don't mind sharing your space while waiting on the tornado to go away. That is the most basic, safe design for a shelter.<br />
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While the most common mantra is the one written above about the small central room or an underground shelter, I have seen several homes that were completely gone after a storm, but the block foundation was still there and intact! If you don't have an underground shelter option, then that small, central room is your only option. Do it! But if you have a minute, you can give yourself a safer option. A small, central room is great only as long as it stays anchored to your foundation. Another option that is often overlooked is the crawlspace of the house. If you have a house that is not built on a concrete slab, and is not a trailer, then you most likely have a crawlspace. <br />
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This paragraph and the next are completely my opinion: <br />
Almost all tornadoes come to you from the southwest traveling toward the northeast. If I were to use the foundation, or the basement for shelter, I would be a bit more worried about the house landing on me than the tornado blowing me away. Think about it for a second. You know that a hole in the ground (Basement or crawlspace) is not going to blow away. The house might completely blow away, or it might be blown five feet and collapse. Problem is this: five feet means it is no longer sitting ON the foundation, which means it can fall inside. <br />
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Now, since tornadoes approach from the southwest, if the house is going to get blown off the foundation it will be toward the northeast. I want it to go away from where I am sheltering. That means I want shelter in the southwest corner of the crawlspace or basement. If I am under the northeast corner, and the house blows five feet and collapses, then that is right on top of you. It was once pointed out that after the tornado passes, the wind comes from the other direction. My answer was that if the tornado didn't blow the house down from one direction as the winds built to max speeds on approach, then it surely would have a very good chance of withstanding the diminishing wind speeds from the tornado as it moved away.<br />
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Back to the real world...<br />
Now you are prepared. We wait.<br />
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Always be aware of the forecast and look for these indicators of tornado weather:<br />
Dark, greenish sky<br />
Wall clouds that soar straight up<br />
Cloud rotation and swirling winds<br />
A loud roar that is often said to sound like a freight train<br />
A ground level dust and debris swirl (not all tornadoes have a visible funnel)<br />
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The weather siren has sounded! Head for your safe room or shelter!!!<br />
Once you are inside your safe room, turn on the weather radio and listen for additional information. Have everyone change into their boots. Then, I would suggest that you try to remain calm and just wait it out. <br />
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In the off chance that you discover that you are indeed about to become Dorthy, have everyone cover their heads with the pillows and their bodies with the blankets and curl into a ball. Good luck, you have done what you could do to be ready for this.<br />
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Wow! That was INTENSE! Now what? Activate your aftermath plan. Have an area designated where everyone will meet up. Treat the injuries that you can and do not move anyone seriously injured. Cover them with a blanket and make sure they are the first ones visited by EMS once they arrive. Once you have attended to your family, see if you can help any of your neighbors. If you smell any chemicals or gas, leave that area immediately! Once serious injuries are treated, look around for any collapsed structures and take a census of who might have been there. Only if it is a dire emergency should you attempt the try to excavate or extricate them, but this is also a priority area that emergency crews should be directed to when they arrive. <br />
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Stay calm both before, during, and after a tornado. This will help you make better decisions quickly that could save lives! <br />
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A few more tips here...<br />
Always know your building's plan where you work... assuming you can get a job in this economy.<br />
Never try to shelter inside a vehicle during a tornado, get out and get into the ditch. Images of Evil Knievel unsuccessfully trying to jump the Grand Canyon comes to mind.<br />
Never try to shelter under a bridge or overpass. These are wind funnels and will subject you to much more intense winds and becoming a Human Cannonball.<br />
Never try to out drive a tornado. They are wily and will track you down.<br />
Never, unless you are a protected class of redneck, go outside to watch a tornado. Watch some other redneck's video on TV later. <br />
And don't drink beer during a tornado. The pressure changes make it foam up and it spews everywhere.<br />
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<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="250" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6767620.371;sz=300x250;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802464098;pid=AR319%253A%253ABLACK;usg=AFHzDLs75IO9db0q4PVfotmK82mOGcIdyQ;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.magellans.com%252Feton-hand-crank-radio-phone-charger;pubid=627427;price=%2460.00;title=Eton+FRX3+Hand+Turbine%2C+Solar+AM%2FFM+NOAA+Emergency+Radio%2FCharger+Black;merc=Magellan%27s+Travel+Supplies;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magellans.com%2Fmedia%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct%2Fa%2Fr%2Far319_lg.jpg;width=109;height=135" vspace="0" width="300"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="250" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6695226.287091;sz=300x250;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463973;pid=124678;usg=AFHzDLu8k3d47Ua32JwUKydBVnxM04COkA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.samsclub.com%252Fsams%252Ffirst-aid-only-ansi-compliant-first-aid-kit-with-1%252F171447.ip%253Fpid%253D_DoubleClick_Affiliates%2526ci_src%253D15781033%2526ci_sku%253D124678;pubid=627427;price=%2448.97;title=First+Aid+Only+ANSI-Compliant+First+Aid+Kit+with+1;merc=Sam%27s+Club;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fs7d2.scene7.com%2Fis%2Fimage%2Fsamsclub%2Fs7product%2F0009226526241_A.jpg;width=135;height=135" vspace="0" width="300"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-85391009831550949132013-04-10T15:58:00.001-04:002013-04-12T11:04:51.284-04:00Got Scurvy?<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay, I know... this isn't Pirate Underground. However scurvy can be a real hazard to anyone that becomes Vitamin C deficient. Vitamin C also helps fend off colds, influenza, dementia, depression, anxiety, bladder infections, obesity, and some say cancer. Speaking of cancer, vitamin C also is supposed to help deal with chemo sickness. So, just for a moment pretend that you can no longer run to the store and buy an orange, lemon, or lime. Now what? Scurvy. Did you know that scurvy was actually rather common until 1932? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><br />When Jacques Cartier was exploring the St. Lawrence River in the northeast his men were almost at the point of death when the local tribesmen decided to help them. How they did that was to introduce them to the Arbor Vitae tree... now known as the Eastern White Cedar. Oddly enough, "arbor vitae" translates directly from the Latin as "Life Tree" and that is very fitting! It saved their lives. <br /><br />They took the freshest leaves (Cedar trees have leaves, not needles.) and pulverized them. They added that to hot water and made a tea which the explorers then drank. Very shortly, within days, the explorers began feeling better and within a week were fully recovered. Each cup of that tea contained five times as much vitamin C as is found in an entire lemon!<br /><br />This tea can be made from ALMOST any pine tree. The easiest to identify is the white pine tree. It is the only one with needles in five leaf clusters. Some variety of long leafed pine grows in almost every corner of the U.S. and is readily identifiable. The exception is the Yew tree which has bright red berries on it. Just remember, bright RED berries means STOP! Another word of caution is in regards to the Ponderosa Pine. It is said that the needles on this particular tree makes horses and cows abort fetuses. If it'll kill a horse, I'm not sure I'd want to drink it. If you are in Ponderosa Pine country, I'd suggest using a cedar tree for tea just to be safe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><br />So how do you make this life saving tea? Easy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Pick a handful of the freshest needles on the tree for each cup. <br />Cut them into pieces about half an inch long, or bruise them well.<br />Remove the little brown end pieces and put the green bits into your pot.<br />Add your boiling water and cover. <br />Allow to steep until the needles become dull and sink to the bottom.<br />Slowly pour into cups and garnish to taste as you would any other tea.<br /><br />Enjoy a scurvy free life!</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-41152084339306214442013-04-09T10:30:00.002-04:002013-04-09T10:30:29.550-04:00Apple Jack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No self respecting Patriot would ever go without making a batch of Apple Jack every winter. Heck, good ol' George Washington used to make barrels of it! It is the absolute easiest (and most tasty!) form of liquor anyone has ever made while living in the great white north! This finally solves the riddle why anyone in their right mind would EVER want to live in a climate with such a cold, harsh winter!<br /><br />Now, thanks to good ol' Thomas Edison and his electric current and the artificial refrigeration technology developed by William Cullen way back in 1748, anyone can make it these days! As an added bonus, he that hath the best freezer, will hath the best hootch! <br /><br />Why is that one might ask? Well, the colder you go, the higher the proof! For an idea of what you can get, at zero degrees you'll make 15%, minus ten will yield 21%, minus twenty will yield 27%, and minus thirty will yield 33%. That is 30, 42, 54, and 66 proof respectively! So for the colonial Americans, the rougher the winter, the better the summer! Not bad for no still huh? Speaking of stills, a note on legality here: <br /><br /><i>"In the United States the production of applejack, since the process used is considered distillation, is illegal. The ATF&E considers this the same as operating a still, and therefore this should not be attempted without licensing."</i></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i><br />Now, for historical purposes only, here is how it was done by the Original Patriot Type Folk!<br /><br /><b>"Take a wagon of good apples plucked during the peak of ripeness and mash them well into a barrel, removing the bodies to leave the juices. The fellow now prepares sweet water by adding four scoops of molasses sugars dissolved into one jug warm water. He adds this to the barrel at a rate of one portion of sweet water to one portion of apple juices. He adds lastly to the barrel one scoop of yeasts. Having done these steps he then loosely caps the barrel to exclude vermin and places in the cold cellar to await the coldest freezings of winter. On the harshest of winter days when it is too bitter for all else, he will venture into the cellar and using a holed ladled covered in mesh cloth, he removes all the frozen waters leaving behind the prepared elixir. Five full barrels of the prepared mixture will give remnants of one full barrel of elixirs."</b><br /><br />So to help understand it, in today's English it shakes out like this:<br /><br />One gallon apple juice with no additives or preservatives what-so-ever.<br />Four pounds of dark brown sugar dissolved into one gallon of hot spring water.<br />Cool the sugar water mix.<br />Add two packets of wine yeast.<br />Mix all together and allow to ferment until the yeast are almost all dead.<br />(Using an air bubbler, wait until there is less than one bubble per minute.<br />Without the bubbler, wait at least two weeks.)<br />Filter the mix into freezer safe plastic jugs.<br />Place in the coldest environment (deep freezer) available and freeze overnight.<br />Shake in the morning. <br />Repeat this cycle for one week.<br />(replicates the freeze thaw cycle during a winter season)<br />Starting day eight, shake and filter out the ice. <br />Return the liquid to the jug. Repeat until it will no longer freeze.<br /><br />Apple Jack.</span><div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-39254385041372696732013-04-08T22:07:00.000-04:002013-04-13T12:30:31.636-04:00Got an Ax to Grind?Those that know me know that I have more axes than any one man should. I am an ax nut. I always have been and I don't know why. Maybe it goes back to playing "explorer" along the creeks and in the ridges around where I grew up and building forts using my dad's hatchet. It was both a hammer, and a saw... the first multi-tool! Then I discovered wood splitting (thanks dad!) and cutting kindling for our wood heater. Later, as I grew older and stronger, I was introduced to the splitting maul and sledgehammer. Through it all though, I retained a love for axes of all shapes. There is just something about the sing as it whirls through the air that will bring out the frontiersman in any of us!<br />
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Quite a few guys have watched me stone the edge on one or another of my axes and commented that they couldn't believe that I put that much effort into something that I was going to "beat on a log with." Boy, if they only knew how it feels to not "beat" on a log and to actually make the chips FLY they'd sure change their minds! A good edge on an ax makes it one of the most useful and satisfying tools you can own!<br />
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All together I probably still possess about eight axes. Three of which will shave you at this instant. Why not all? Well, some aren't worth the effort and others just won't keep an edge. So after I educate them on the different types of axes and their uses it always leads into a conversation about what my favorite ax is. Heck, this is easy now, but if you had asked me that at different stages of my life it would have been one of several different answers! So what is it right now? It is the Long Handle Camper's Axe. Yes, with an "e" because that is the way Estwing names their axes.<br />
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Yes, THAT Estwing. Blue rubber handle and all! Did you even know they made axes? Hatchets and tomahawks too! Ten varieties to be exact. The one that has my fancy has a misnomer for a name. The "long handle" camper's axe is 26 inches total! That is about ten inches shorter than a regular felling ax. However at about two and a half pounds total it is about four pounds lighter than a Collins felling ax. Let me just say something here... if you have never cut a 12 inch tree out of a road when the tree was six or seven feet high while you were using a felling ax then you have no idea what you are missing. Forget going to a gym, go cut trees overhead! That was when I realized I could never replace my Estwing ax! <br />
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The Estwing is just about the perfect size for me too. I am a bit over six feet tall and this does not feel like a midget ax to me. Perfect. No other word for it. You pick it up and you know it is a real ax. It has that solid feel and heft. The rubber handle gives that nice tacky grip that prevents blisters and gives a solid grip. Because it is Estwing's patented shock adsorbing grip it also isolates the vibrations and keeps it from hurting your hands on a sour blow. <br />
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The weight is also perfect. It runs much lighter than most comparable axes this size, but the weight is all out on the head and it give it a sweet bite! I cut a newly fallen and solid birch that was across the road not long ago. It was probably 14 inches in diameter and we had to cut it twice... too big to move the top or the trunk so we had to cut a eight foot piece out of the middle. Two of us taking turns finished that tree in less than three minutes. No joke. With that itty-bitty ax. Actually, it is a four inch bit, so it takes a full bite like a regular felling ax. Calling it itty-bitty isn't really fair, especially considering how it performs! <br />
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Long story short, I recommend the Estwing Long Handle Camper's Axe without any reservation. There is one, and only one, slight modification I would make (made) to this ax. The eight inch, slick fiberglass handle portion in front of the rubber grip I wrapped with about fifteen feet of 550 paracord so that it is more grippy when choking up to cut kindling or for fine work. <br />
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If you didn't want to do that, Estwing also makes a 16 inch version of the camper's axe that I hear is also superb! Also, they make a four pound short handled axe (14" overall length) that is specifically for driving a wedge and splitting camp sized fire wood. It is called the Estwing Fireside Friend and you can use it to drive the Sure Split Wedge. You wouldn't want to split a cord of wood with these, but for a camp it looks like just the thing!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-58038778326277040062013-04-06T14:05:00.000-04:002013-04-17T19:47:45.884-04:00The One Day (Everyday) Pack Fantastic. A broken ankle, no cell service, 30 degrees tonight, five miles from my truck, two hours 'til dark, and nobody knows where I am. Fan-damn-tastic.<br />
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Well, it's a good thing I took someone's advice and finally put together a little one day, everyday kit that I carry on every excursion no matter how short, especially since I am solo! Right? You have one too, right? No? Well, that simple kit is the difference in "alright" and "serious trouble" in the above scenario.<br />
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So what goes in? Only the bare essentials. The easiest and most user friendly items available that will save your life in a case like this are what you need. It's great that you know how to start a fire with a bamboo saw, but do you really want to be trying to do that in this situation? It's also awesome that you know how to drink your own piss thanks to Bear Grylls, but wouldn't you prefer just a little bit of just plain ol' water? Thought so.<br />
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The ten areas you need to cover with items in your pack are:<br />
1. Protection<br />
2. Water<br />
3. Fire<br />
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4. Shelter<br />
5. Food</div>
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6. Navigation</div>
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7. Illumination<br />
8. Tools and Spares<br />
9. First Aid<br />
10. Sun Protection<br />
* Bonus Items!<br />
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A few small and very lightweight multi-use items in your pack that will take care of you in these 10 areas. What degree of comfort you'd like determines how much of each item you carry. It'd be great to be able to bring the entire sporting goods section from the Cabela's store with you, but we are talking about a small pack that you will carry on every outing. However, there comes a point where it becomes an inconvenience and at that point most people will start leaving stuff at home. If you find yourself at the point where you must have the entire Cabela's store, I'd suggest you watch a nature show and get on a treadmill. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://www.sta-tactical.com/content/192885/New_TAG_images/CamelBak_MULE_500_Denier_Hydration_System.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="177" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camelbak Mil-Tac M.U.L.E.</td></tr>
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First things first! You need a good pack! One that is comfortable and functional, and that will carry everything you need. My personal pack is a Camelbak Mil-Tac M.U.L.E. which is about as perfect a pack for this option as you will find. I have carried this pack on hundreds of hikes in every condition you can think of. The longest of which was 22 miles in ten hours and that started in 100 degree heat during the day and ended in 30 degree cold at night. This pack has NEVER let me down and I have been using the same one for over 10 years now. I highly recommend this pack! </div>
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Now the top ten items to fill it!</div>
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1. Protection from what ails you! I recommend a 9mm or larger. I personally carry a Colt Delta Elite 10mm when I am in the wilds with bears, and a compact .40 S&W otherwise. But for inside your pack, you will carry your extra ammo, and a quality fixed blade knife such as a Gerber LMF II. If you go with a smaller pack than the MULE, then get a large folder for this billet. I'd go with something like the Kershaw Piston 1860... and don't start whining about a seventy dollar knife for your pack. It's only your life we are talking about.<br />
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2. Water is sacred! This pack will let you pack 100 ounces and you'll never realize it's there, but if you go with a regular pack, carry at least a 20 ounce sealed bottle for emergencies. I also have an NDUR Survival Straw that I can use after my water supply is gone. With that I can drink right out of a mud puddle if I need to. If I was not carrying my Camelbak with 100 ounces, I'd for sure be carrying a one liter bottle (with the big cap) and the straw. The straw is just a bit to big for a regular bottle and I am not keen on doing push ups in mud puddles to drink.</div>
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3. Fire is a life saver! A fire will warm you, dry you, and protect you. Fire and shelter are interchangeable on this list dependent on your environment. Summer in Florida? You may not need a fire. For your pack, put in two disposable Bic lighters WITH the child safeties on the gas actuator The safety will keep it from accidentally getting depressed inside the pack. I check mine periodically, but have had the same ones in there for years! Why Bics? Cheap and dependable. Zippos dry up when forgotten about for over a week, however if you tend to them, they are hard to top for fire starting and will not explode if crushed. If I knew I was going to have to start a fire, a hard to find model 6700 trench lighter from Imco is my first choice, but a Zippo is a close second! </div>
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<a href="http://www.vtarmynavy.com/imco-trench-lighter---6700.htm">Imco Trench Lighter</a></div>
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4. Shelter for a pack is different than shelter in a normal sense. What I am talking about here is a space blanket and a head cover. Put in a Mylar space blanket and a Polartec beanie you are covered in this area. The silver Mylar blanket will keep you warm and dry and the beanie will keep your head warm even if it gets wet. The silver is also easy to see from the air so if you need found it will help.<br />
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5. Food is the next thing we need to cover. Put in three energy bars such as Power Bar Performance bars. They keep for over a year easily, and are easy to find. Matter of fact, you can get them at most any gas station. Also, if you are in a hot and dry climate, put in a dry electrolytic mix such as Nunn tablets.</div>
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6. Navigation is pretty simple right? GPS? Great, and when it breaks? Get a good high quality compass and at the very least you can not walk in circles, because if you have no idea which end is up, you will walk in a large circle. If you don't have either one, walk downhill. Down always leads out. Ever seen all the houses on top of Mount McKinley Exactly, there are none. Ever seen an ocean front without houses? Just remember this saying: When lost, you are DOWN and OUT. </div>
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7. Illumination is your friend. I have a 4D LED Mag-lite inside my MULE alongside the water bladder. It will burn for DAYS on a single set of batteries. That is a great light. LED bulbs do not burn out like regular bulbs and they don't pop when you drop it while it's on. They also are a drop in replacement. If your current Mag-lite has an incandescent bulb, buy the LED and replace it. Put your old bulb in the tail cap... just in case. The second light you need is a LED headlamp. I like the Energizer 6 LED unit that is available on Amazon for about 15 bucks. A Mag-lite is great except when you need both hands, like when carrying firewood or if you need to saw off your arm like Aron Ralston. Just sayin....<br />
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8. Tools and Spares are what you always need an never have... except inside your pack you will! I am a huge fan of the Leatherman Wave tool. It has about everything you need to build a house, or swap an engine. As for spares, toss in a set of spare batteries for the GPS and headlamp. A spare set of boot laces is always handy too. On that note, I always like to replace mine with paracord. Not because it gives me another piece of cordage, but because they are superior to anything else! The last thing you want to try to do is make your way out of the wilderness with no bootlaces while running from zombies because you used your laces to make a shelter last night. Those are the ab-so-lute last piece of cordage I will ever use for anything other than their intended purpose! I'll cut my underwear into cordage first!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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9. First Aid is always a concern and should always find a home in whatever pack you carry. A first aid kit for a day pack is really a small item that is always handy. I like to use a small plastic soap box to keep everything neat and clean. Put in a few 4x4 gauze packs, a small roll of medical tape, Neosporin, a dozen alcohol prep pads, six Nexcare Sport bandages, a pair of quality tweezers, and a couple of needles. Also put in a small bottle with Bayer Aspirin, Imodium, Motrin, and Benadryl. Last thing I strongly advise including is Quick Clot or Celox clotting agent. No need leaking out if you can avoid it!<br />
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10. Sun Protection is often overlooked, but it is a real hazard to become severely sunburned. Your skin isn't just a bag to hold your guts, but it is the cooling system of the body. Fry it and it stops working correctly, then you overheat and die. Toss in a couple of the single serving packs of 30 + SPF and a tube of sunscreen for your lips.... AND USE IT. No need to be a tough guy in the wilderness. Nobody is there to see you not crying.</div>
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* Bonus Items! There are a few items that are indispensable in a tough situation. These are things that get stuffed into a pack and forgotten about until you need them. Let me kick off the festivities with this: TOILET PAPER! Go to the local surplus store and buy a ziplok baggie full of the TP packets from MRE's. How they pack 700 feet of TP in a packet the size of a matchbox still amazes me even though it has been over twenty years since I saw my first one! Next, a hundred foot roll of #36 bank line with 25 feet of paracord stuffed into the middle of the spool is one such item. #36 bank line is a cordage primarily used to make fishing nets in the real world. It is slightly smaller than 3/32 of an inch with a tensile strength of 330 pounds. We all know about paracord, so I'll skip that. One more thing that I hope I never need but will have in my pack is a Storm whistle. Loudest whistle in the world and much easier than yelling for help. Lastly, inside the pack should be a plastic bottle full of cotton balls soaked in Vaseline. These are the best tinder for fire starting I think I have ever used. They are also useful for dressing a wound, and as makeshift lubrication for whatever needs it.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-28332117515743660922013-04-02T20:34:00.000-04:002013-04-02T23:39:59.557-04:00Dutch Ovens<br />
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<img src="http://www.openfirecookware.com/files/4282554/uploaded/campfirecookingdutchovens.jpg" /></div>
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Every person needs to experience biscuits made using a dutch oven in a camp fire at least once in their lifetime. If you never try to make anything else ever, or if you never try to make biscuits again in your life, this is one time that you should! Nothing beats the smokey flavor imparted by using hardwood to heat your oven. Cooking time is actually very similar to using a conventional oven and your family and friends will love them even if they don't come out perfect!<br />
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First thing you'll need to do is locate a good dutch oven. If you don't ever buy another quality piece of cast iron cookware, this is the one time you will get what you pay for. The thicker the better is the rule here. The cast iron holds heat and cooks more evenly when it is thicker. If you have a cheap, thin dutch oven it will warp, crack, let coals into the inside, and have severe hot spots that will leave parts uncooked and other parts burned. As for size, the perfect, general use dutch oven is the 12 inch, six quart type.<br />
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The next necessity for a good cast iron dutch oven is that it has legs. There are many out there that do not have legs, and they work great in a conventional oven. They also work really well on a rack over a fire for frying and what-not. They do not work well as an OVEN though. The reason is that an oven needs to have steady, all over heat. You achieve this by setting it into the coals of a waning fire and then shoveling a good heap onto the lid. A flat bottomed oven will set on top of the coals and smother all that are below the bottom. They also tend to not sit very flat. The legs allow it to sit ever so slightly higher over the coals and allows the coals to breath. You should also try to find the three legged variety as these will sit level and without rocking on any surface. If you can only find the flat bottomed version, you can always use three lemon sized rocks for makeshift legs.<br />
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The next consideration for a cast iron oven is in the seasoning. This applies to ANY cast iron cookware; good seasoning is a MUST! Seasoning seals the pores of the cast iron and prevents sticking. To properly season a iron pot, skillet, oven, or griddle is a bit time consuming, but not difficult. The better the seasoning job you perform, the better you will enjoy using the cast iron. The first thing you will do, and NEVER do again until you decide to reseason it is scrub it with hot water and soap using coarse steel wool. You will NEVER use soap on cast iron afterwards, and you will never scrub it unless you want to reseason it. Well, I guess you could... if you like food that tastes like your soap, or you want to permanently adhere your eggs to the skillet.<br />
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Here is a brief instruction on seasoning cast iron cookware:<br />
1. Scrub with soap and hot water to remove any oils that may be present due to the manufacturing process, or if it is antique, to remove any contaminants that may have landed on it inadvertently.<br />
(Do not scrub NEW pre-seasoned cast iron as it is ready to use. You CAN apply a fresh coat if you'd like though.)<br />
2. Apply a nice wetting coat of melted shortening or vegetable oil to the entire pan, inside and out. Not too much or it will be sticky afterwards.<br />
3. Place it upside-down in an oven preheated to 400 degrees that has had the bottom covered with foil for any drips.<br />
4. Allow it to cook for an hour and then turn the oven off and allow it to slowly cool inside the oven. Repeat this at least twice more for new unseasoned cast iron. You should now have a nice coating on the pan.<br />
5. Store your cast iron in a dry area and watch for any rust that may develop over time. <br />
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Using your cast iron is just like anything else, it takes a bit of practice to master it. A couple things you need to accept right from the start are that you will not SCRUB it or use SOAP on it after it is seasoned. You wash it with plain water and a cloth. If you are concerned about germs you have to consider this: after you wash it you will dry it in an oven at 350 degrees afterwards and then reoil it. 350 degrees will sanitize anything. The next thing is to add a bit of extra oil right before you begin cooking for the first couple uses to help prevent sticking. Also, count on sticking for the first five or six uses! I don't care what people tell ya!<br />
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Ok... Back on topic! Put your oven in the campfire* (literally) and cover the lid with coals so it too will heat up. Crap, another side note here... NO evergreen or sappy wood! Use oak, hickory, ash, poplar.... something along those lines. Okay.... Now, mix your biscuits while the oven is heating. When everything is set, take the oven out and using a natural bristle brush, cotton towel, or even a paper towel, lightly oil your dutch oven before adding your biscuits to the bottom. A piece of parchment paper on the bottom could also be used instead of oiling for a surefire nonstick solution. <br />
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Now, quickly prep your fire by raking the coals back from the bottom of the fire pit. Get a layer of good hot coals about an inch and a half deep ready on one side of the fire pit. Place your oven on top but don't squash the coals; it should be supported by the legs on the dirt underneath and still lightly touching the coals. Lastly, put about 18 to 20 chucks of golf ball sized coals on top of the lid. This will give you about 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. You will only cook your biscuits for about 15 minutes and don't forget to start timing from the second you put them in the preheated oven! <br />
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This also makes fantastic cornbread, cinnamon rolls, and loaf biscuit. <br />
Enjoy!<br />
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* For the yuppies...<br />
If you want to try this at your home located safely in town, you can use charcoal briquettes. Using QUALITY briquettes such as Kingsford start yourself a pile of 30 briquettes and let them burn until they are ready like when grilling your filet mignon. Spread them out and use 10 on the bottom, and 20 on the lid for a 12 inch oven. Go down to the Market and buy frozen Pilsbury "Homemade" biscuits and then follow the instruction above. After the oven cools, donate your dutch oven to a local transient under a bridge because you cannot put it into a dishwasher. Try not to burn yourself... careful, it's hot when in use.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-11093814094013890642013-03-27T23:16:00.001-04:002013-03-27T23:16:13.871-04:00The 2nd Amendment Explained<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><b>Amendment II: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. December 15, 1791</b><br /><br /><br />Easy enough, right? Okay you're right, apparently not... but when broken down it becomes much easier to understand and to explain to others.<br /><br />When you talk about the Second Amendment most tend to get caught up in the arguments of today. Hardly anyone ever puts it into context with what was going on when it was written. There was a war just being wrapped up in which a tyrannical government had become scared of its subjects and had tried to ban the rifles that it feared. That didn't work out so well for them as I don't think they really thought the decision to go to war completely through.<br /><br />After the scourge had been ousted and things were settling down the forefathers figured they had better put something into writing to keep this from ever happening again. What they came up with was this: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.<br /><br />So if we look at it in terms of what was going on those days and if we clarify the commonly misunderstood terms used it becomes much clearer and you get what I like to call the modern language second amendment.<br /><br />The first term that gets people is "Regulated" and when used in today's world means something very different than it did many years ago when this was written. When the amendment was written regulated meant "outfitted or equipped." So we end up with a "well equipped militia" and that brings us to the second term that confounds folks.<br /><br />A militia 220 years ago was the ONLY defensive force the young United States had. A militia is simply the civilian fighting force of the state or country. Now one must bear in mind again that this was the ONLY force we had. A military is a standing force... they never go home unlike militia that returns home after serving their duty. Think of a militia as a reserve type army that is only activated as needed. When the forefathers wrote the amendment the militia was all we had and therefore the terms militia and military are interchangeable.<br /><br />The next misinterpreted part is the phrase "security of a free state" because people tend to again use the wrong definition of the word "state." People tend to think of a state... a state such as Virginia or Delaware. In this context they are talking about a "state of being", specifically a state of being free. Remember, the Constitution was a federal document, not a state document. Had they been referring to something other than a state of being, they'd have written "security of a free country." <br /><br />The next one that is misunderstood is "people" because people tend to bunch everyone together in a collective group. When we talk about people today it simply means just that, but back then you had a different sets of persons. We had the Brits, the government, the militia, and the citizens. Only ONE of these groups was ever referred to as "the people" in 1791, and that was the CITIZENS which were NOT the militia, or the government, and certainly not the Brits! <br /><br />Keep and bear... well, what can I say? Lots of people tend to overlook this and it is really the very heart and soul of the amendment. The right to have arms in your home and not in a government controlled armory someplace and to BEAR those same arms as needed is just that. Why would they feel it needed to write it in there that you can keep them in your home? Simple, because if the government knows where they are, and especially if they are all in one place such as an armory, it makes it rather easy to pull all the tiger's teeth. <br /><br />Why write in that they have the right to bear arms? Isn't it a given? No. Remember that no one could have arms in old England except as permitted by the King. There is a reason those people were called SUBJECTS and that is it. Too, they were NOT referring to bearing arms to go hunting. Heck, everyone had to go hunting. If they didn't they would have starved! Hunting was a given, bearing arms wasn't. And you don't "bear arms" against a deer... Just sayin! <br /><br />The last one is commonly misunderstood is the word "infringed" which modern folk tend to somehow interchange with "impede" but that term was well defined in 1791. It meant "not mucked with in any fashion" and while I told myself this was going to be a completely non-political post, I find it necessary to toss in one point here: Limiting magazine capacity, or the type of ammunition, or restricting sales in any way IS infringing. <br /><br />Therefore...<br /><br />If we replace the terms that everyone seems to get confused and put it into today's words, I think it really clears it up:<br /><br /><b>Because a well equipped military is necessary to maintain freedom from tyrannical governments that might misuse that military, the right of the citizens to also keep their own arms and to bear those arms as necessary, shall not be mucked with!</b><br /><br /><br />Also, if you take a second to read over the Third Amendment, you notice right away that this one ALSO deals with limiting the power of the government and the military.... The right to be free from quartering soldiers. Basically having a soldier looking over your shoulder every minute of every day while you had to feed and care for him out of your food stocks and coffers.<br /><br />Last point I want to make is this: With all the liberals that are spewing that the people don't need military type arms, I feel it necessary to remind you that if push comes to shove the people will be fighting armies equipped with tanks and airplanes. Do you really want to further handicap yourself by going after guys with machine guns while you are equipped with a blunderbuss? If they really want to limit everyone to a single shot shotgun, that's fine... remove all the military's machine guns and also equip them with single shot shotguns. (Okay, cool your jets fellas... nobody in their right mind will ever disarm the military... except a conquering military, or a fully retarded government.) <div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-35689718104075227392013-03-21T23:48:00.001-04:002013-04-07T17:07:46.617-04:00Are You Ready? <div style="text-align: center;">
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So, are you ready? You do have a Family Emergency Preparedness Plan, right? A plan for what kind of emergency you ask? None and any kind all at the same time. Well, that just doesn't make any sense you say, but really it does. Really. Think about it. One of the hallmarks of a really good plan is that it fits almost every situation without any kind of modification.<br />
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Because you and your family may not all be together when a situation arises it is imperative that you plan ahead and that you and your family know and understand the plan and how to set it into action in a moments notice and without help. Where will you go? How will you make contact with the other members and how will you get together? These things are all parts of a good Family Emergency Preparedness Plan.<br />
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What should you put into your plan? Well, every plan has almost the same basic criteria to be a good plan. <br />
1. A nearby meeting place such as the church just down the street.<br />
2. A meeting place that is not so nearby such as the county fairgrounds five miles away.<br />
3. A method of reconnecting such as having everyone contact a specific aunt that lives two states away.<br />
4. And lastly, shelter and supplies to last for however long you have to wait.<br />
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1. A nearby meeting place is just that, a place that is close by and that everyone can find easily in any situation. It should be a public property in case you have to hang around for a while. <br />
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2. A not so nearby meeting place is for when the emergency is a bit larger and you have to leave the neighborhood. Is should also be a public place and even more friendly to having to sit around. A camp ground is a good example of this type of meeting place. It should also have restrooms and water because you may be here for a while.<br />
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3. A method of reconnecting. Sounds like this should be a no brainer, right? But what is you lost your cell phone and can't call your spouse to say to meet at the campground at the river? You could still pick up a pay phone (assuming they still are functional) and call Aunt Sally and tell her you are heading to the campground and she can pass that message to all the others as they call in. Get it? You should also have a pre-designated area to report to for events in which the telephones are all dead.<br />
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4. Shelter and supplies to help you wait. Wouldn't want to sit in the rain and be hungry and thirsty for ten hours while waiting on your husband to walk the fifteen miles to meet you all would you? Easy enough.<br />
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These are just the bullet points on developing a good plan. There are many plans out there that you can follow and many are free if you just look for them. There are also many great instructional sites out there too that will provide you with more case-by-case specific plans if you just put in a bit of effort looking... matter of fact, all the effort required today is clicking this link: <a href="http://emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/plan/">Emergency Preparedness Plans</a><br />
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You should also have a plan in place for you and your coworkers at your workplace, you and your family at your favorite grocery store, and even just you and your spouse at Walmart. You should always have a plan! And a good plan is adaptable to every situation. And good plans are FREE because they just require, well, planning... but they are worth a million bucks when they are needed! <br />
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One last thing... have a plan even if you are alone walking down a seemingly deserted street. It could be the difference between happiness and tragedy for your family.<br />
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<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6695223.4890;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463717;pid=98886BLK;usg=AFHzDLuCbJvNZ3imwqVLSw_goihIRiu0Qg;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.campmor.com%252Fmag-lite-2-d-cell-led-flashlight.shtml;pubid=627427;price=%2431.98;title=Mag+Lite+2+D+Cell%2C+LED...;merc=Campmor;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.campmor.com%2Fwcsstore%2FCampmor%2Fstatic%2Fimages%2Flights%2F98886%2F98886_blk.jpg;width=78;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6695223.4891;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463717;pid=85838;usg=AFHzDLvA2DuXezD0SoAZeuWUKk5F5b3ntA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.campmor.com%252Fnorth-face-borealis-daypack-1.shtml;pubid=627427;price=%2469.98;title=The+North+Face+Boreali...;merc=Campmor;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.campmor.com%2Fwcsstore%2FCampmor%2Fstatic%2Fimages%2Fpacks%2F85838.jpg;width=78;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N963.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6527721.7;dcadv=3632184;sz=180x150;lid=41000613802463762;pid=GDSKB4;usg=AFHzDLuPSpGra4Y2lEQaccxvUDSpCgO7mg;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.sportsrecreationmall.com%252Fgdskb4.html;pubid=627427;price=%2464.98;title=Guardian+GDSKB4+Family...;merc=Sports+and+Recreation+Mall;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fsite.unbeatablesale.com%2Fimg134%2Fgdskb4.gif;width=110;height=84" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-7065237634081429832013-03-20T22:03:00.000-04:002013-03-20T23:00:11.446-04:00Vehicle Tool KitsOkay, someone asked me a while back what they should put in a tool kit for their problematic vehicle. After some thought, what I have come up with is this: Buy everything you can fit in the largest tool box you can fit into whatever you drive. Also include an extra of everything that could break on your vehicle. There you go! Have a good weekend and be watching for my next post!<br />
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Alright, so that was a pretty lame response. Back to the topic with all kidding aside this time...<br />
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For putting together a tool kit for your vehicle you need to assess your vehicle and be realistic about what you intend to accomplish with it. Every person needs at least the most basic of tool kits in their car or truck (hence forth ALL vehicles will be referred to as cars in this post for simplicity's sake) regardless of your mechanical prowess. Why? Because even if you have no idea what is wrong or how to fix it, sooner or later some helpful soul may happen by and say "Well that'd be an easy fix if only I had a ______" and if you have one... no tow truck bill or cold walk home for you!<br />
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The most very basic of tool kits for any vehicle should include: a 1/4 x 4 inch flat head screwdriver, a # 2 x 4 Phillips head screwdriver, a 10" adjustable wrench, a set of lineman's pliers, a 10" Channellock pliers, and a 10" Vise-grip pliers. It should also include a roll of electrical tape, a roll of duct tape, a small ball-peen hammer, and extra fuses.<br />
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While I am on the subject of fuses... go by Advanced Auto and get an assortment pack of the type fuses your car uses. When a fuse blows, replace it with the same size fuse. If it blows again soon after, you will need to get it checked out by a mechanic. However, don't assume that you are looking a a trip to the mechanic just because you blew a fuse... sometimes they just go. If you should happen to find that you do not have the correct size fuse, go up to the next size (larger number) you have, but remember to replace it with the correct size when you can. <br />
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After you have put together the basic kit above, start adding to it as you can. Next in should be two more screwdrivers- the #1 x 4 Phillips and the 3/16 x 4 flat head, an 8" adjustable wrench, a set of needle nose pliers, and a set of diagonal cutters. Also toss in about a three foot piece of 14 gauge wire. <br />
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Additionally, the next time you take your car to get serviced, have the belt replaced regardless of whether or not it needs it "right now" and have them take the old belt and put it into the new belt box wrap and toss your spare into the kit. You never know when your fancy serpentine belt will go and if it does and you are in the middle of nowhere, you are screwed, even if someone handy happens by and knows how to replace it...UNLESS you have a spare!<br />
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Two other items I'd advise you to put in your kit would be a bottle of Slime tire sealant, and a small cigarette lighter plug type compressor. The slime will come with a valve removal tool. You simply unscrew the valve from the center of the valve stem, squirt the entire bottle of slime into the tire, then replace the valve and add air. Drive it for a few miles and then stop and top off your air. Your tire repair guy will hate you for it, but that's what he gets paid for! (And for what it's worth, I do every tire on every ATV or mower I own. Barring a massive failure of the tire, I have NEVER had a flat since starting this practice over eight years ago. I have actually worn a set of ATV tires out and never put a single plug in them. Upon removal of the old tires and inspecting the inside I found NUMEROUS mesquite thorns, wire pieces, and nails inside them. NO JOKE, Slime WORKS!)<br />
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The last things you'll want to add to have a pretty complete tool kit would be a set of combination wrenches in both metric and standard, a set of Allen wrenches in metric and standard, and a set of Torx bits and a driver. If you look around at different suppliers you can find a ratcheting driver set with Torx, Allen, both types of screwdriver bits, and some driver bits, all in one nifty little box. These are great, but known for failing when you need them. I'd recommend getting a good set that costs more, or a direct drive (non-ratcheting) set.<br />
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So now you have a nice basic kit, but let's say for a minute that you want to go all in on a good vehicle kit and not piece it together. What now? Well, it actually gets pretty easy from here. Simply buy a GOOD, high quality pre-made tool kit. One with a lifetime warranty and MADE IN THE USA! Most folks would be amazed to learn that most all quality hand tools are made by one of about three tool makers. So skip all the rhetoric and get what you can afford as long as it fits the above description. <br />
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As an experiment, back in 2001 some friends and I performed a COMPLETE ENGINE SWAP on a front wheel drive, police package Taurus using nothing but a Cresent tool kit purchased at Costco for $79.00. The only other "tool" we used was an engine hoist, but I don't think that is very practical in an emergency tool kit for your car... but if it'll fit!!! <br />
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If you go the pre-made tool kit route you will still want the compressor and Slime, the two types of tape, the wire, the belt, and the hammer. Also toss in a decent tow strap, a good four-way lug wrench, a D-cell LED Maglite, a good set of jumper cables, a tire gauge, and some road flares too. <br />
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If nothing else, when you can't fix it, you'll be able to beat on it with your hammer! <br />
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<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N963.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6527721.7;dcadv=3632184;sz=180x150;lid=41000613802463762;pid=ORSNO61839;usg=AFHzDLvOIEl_CfDSULNUw5RfwkR-YE9jgA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.toolschest.com%252Forsno61839.html;pubid=627427;price=%24109.58;title=Channellock+140-39070+...;merc=Toolschest;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fsite.unbeatablesale.com%2Fimg379%2Forsno61839.gif;width=85;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N963.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6527721.7;dcadv=3632184;sz=180x150;lid=41000613802463762;pid=KWK516;usg=AFHzDLtIlXzzVb2RKs7b7UXJrojIk9ZRyw;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.toolschest.com%252Fkwk516.html;pubid=627427;price=%2420.35;title=Kwik+Tek+TS-15+PWC+Tow...;merc=Toolschest;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fsite.unbeatablesale.com%2Fimg090%2Fkwk516.gif;width=61;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N963.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6527721.7;dcadv=3632184;sz=180x150;lid=41000613802463762;pid=JNSN28319;usg=AFHzDLsV0Wqei18CWONZy0YCj6CqQIPHvQ;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.toolschest.com%252Fjnsn28319.html;pubid=627427;price=%2418.56;title=Access+Marketing+-+Sli...;merc=Toolschest;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fsite.unbeatablesale.com%2Fimg233%2Fjnsn28319.gif;width=28;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-4091017846114270782013-03-15T21:28:00.002-04:002013-03-21T18:12:12.005-04:00Security DogsWhat's a security dog? (AKA: Watch dawg.) Would that be a little dog hanging out in a little house at the end of the driveway with a walkie-talkie and a flashlight? Nooo. I'm talking about a dog that will help take care of your "stuff" while you aren't around, or even when you are around and just need a hand. There are many different levels of "security" that should be considered, starting with the simplest form to the purpose built "professional" dogs.<br />
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Let me preface this post by telling you that I am not a dog expert, but I have worked with many working dogs of different types and have taken my bite. Only one... that was enough. I am not going to go into the "professional" classes of dogs here. I am talking about things to think about when you select your next general purpose dog.<br />
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So what makes a good security dog? Well, I guess that would really depend on who you are and what exactly you are trying to secure. A junkyard? A good fence and any dog that'll chase and bite might be an option. How about your home? That would depend on your circumstances. Are you a single guy with a little stuff that lives in a marginal area of town? What if you are a single lady living in that same area? Do you really need security, an alarm, or both? What if all you really just want a buddy to hang out and watch TV with; but one that'll make a bad guy think twice? With a little compromise and a bit of consideration there are many that can fit that bill.<br />
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Things you want to consider are breed temperament and disposition as well as what you are really trying to accomplish. If you are simply trying to deter a burglar you might want to consider a "yapper". Any good yapper will make a great alarm system and burglar deterrent but you need a selective yapper... not one that barks at every bird that flies by the window.<br />
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No burglar wants to try to sneak into your suburban home with a chihuahua going nuts right inside a window. Another bonus is that when the burglar actually gets through your "high security" sliding glass door in less than fifteen seconds your chihuahua will stay just out of reach and bark three thousand times a minute... and no burglar wants that. They are trying to be sneaky. So with this type dog you'll want to look for alertness coupled with wariness. He'll need to be paying attention, but not go running over to any person that tries to pet him.<br />
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The next option would be the "barker" that barks four or five times and then waits for another noise and barks a bit more while waiting for you to get up and go investigate. Burglars are usually wary of these types because they are a bit bigger and hard to predict if they are a threat or not. Things to consider are that they are typically a bit more social and might go make friends with the burglar when he gets inside. A good barker type dog would be most of the terrier, spaniel, and collie breeds such are the Cocker Spaniel, Jack Russell Terrier, and Border Collies. These are the ones that let you know when someone comes to visit but then welcomes them into your home. <br />
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The next type would be the "big friendly guy" that would leave "big dog" signs around but not have a lot to say. Those are great if you want a burglar step in poo and then track it all through your house. You know the ones... the lab and retriever types. They are friends with everyone. Have you seen the movie "UP"? That's pretty typical behavior. (Although, let one get bit by a bat and turn into Cujo and see what happens...) <br />
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The next type are the "defensive lineman" and "century" types. They'll stand between you and what ails you. The ones that first introduce themselves via growling through the front door and have to be put away in another room before friends get to know them. These guys are not intimidated by anything. Before you bring one of these guys into your home or yard you MUST consider the risk of bites first and foremost. These guys are the biters that send you to get a tetanus shot at the doctor's office if you aren't careful. They take a few minutes to settle down and can then be brought in and introduced around. Before you know it he'll be in your company's lap with his favorite basketball chew toy. Good examples of this type would be your German Shepherds and your American Bulldogs. This is the upper limit of "buddy type" dogs. <br />
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The last type I am going to talk about are the "gladiator" types that tend to be over-protective, bearing in mind we are talking about dogs that you want for a buddy with security benefits. This type dog would be your Dobermans and Rottweilers. These are the guys that you would never have someone not known to the dog to drop by and check on your place for you while you are out. You probably wouldn't want your buddy's two year old to wrestle with these either. It also makes it hard for him to be a buddy if he can't be in the same room with company. Anything in this group will need to be well monitored with any interaction with anyone outside the their "pack" and well trained to know their limits or you are asking for trouble. These boys are biters! Count on stitches if you or your company aren't careful.<br />
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There are a couple more classes above these, but without proper training for him AND you, you're asking for serious trouble.... I mean lawsuit type trouble. Don't do that to yourself. Anyone that buys a protection, attack, or guard dog without proper training and equipment is simply being irresponsible and when you are irresponsible, you are liable. You'll lose that lawsuit. These boys are serious biters, and I'm not talking about him accidentally nipping you while you are playing tug-o-war. I mean "dingoes ate my baby" biters. Dogs in this class aren't typically available at a pet store of at the pound. If someone is getting rid of one of these they are resold by the breeder usually. Examples of these class dogs are the Cane Corsos, Boerboels, and Presa Canarios. <br />
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But there is one type of dog that I have talked about, but have not mentioned. They fall into the slot between big friendly guy and the defensive linemen types. These are the guys that I call "sleeper" dogs. That is a old drag racing term for an old beat up grandma's car with a huge engine with a blower on it and nitrous. The ones that the young punk with the hotrod Firebird pulls up to at the red light, revs the motor at, and then gets left in a cloud of tire smoke wondering what the heck just happened. The old "don't judge a book by its cover" trick.<br />
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These are the perfect types for our situation of living in town and wanting a buddy type dog that can go running in the park with the ladies or can hang out and watch a softball game with you, but without scaring the piss out of everyone within a quarter mile. The ones that will get between you and trouble in a flash and will give you that extra five seconds to get the 9mm out when you get caught off guard. <br />
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Imagine this scenario: You and your 95 pound rottweiler want to go for a run, you accidentally drop the lease and he runs into a playground and tries to play with a five year old little girl. Now, no joke, this guy is the biggest teddy bear EVER. Today he accidentally knocks this little girl over and tries to lick her face to soothe her. But alas, she comes from family that has taught her fear of "scary" dogs and not respect of dogs and she is crying like something, in particular your loving rotty, is trying to kill her. Her mom and dad come running. Mom is already on the phone with 911 and cops are on the way to take care of the rottweiler that is killing a beautiful five year old in the park... what now?<br />
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Now imagine THIS scenario: You and your Great Pyrenees Mountain dog want to go for a run, you accidentally drop the lease and he runs into a playground and tries to play with a five year old little girl. Today he accidentally knocks this little girl over and tries to lick her face to soothe her. However, she isn't scared of this 125 pound furry yellow lab... her parents come running over and grab your leash for you as you apologize. They tell you not to worry and you are back off running.<br />
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What changed? <br />
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Only the appearance of the dog... a Great Pyrenees is by all knowledgeable accounts a better security dog and protection dog for you, your spouse, and your kids than most rotts, dobies, or shepherds Another that fits this category is a Rhodesian Ridgeback... a large redbone hound dog (Where the Red Fern Grows) looking pup with a funny stripe of hair going the wrong way up his back... that was bred to hunt lions. Point is, nobody looks twice at these pups except the bad guy trying not get eaten alive after he tried to take your five year old from the yard. <br />
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Oh yeah, and get a "Beware of Dog" sign even if you don't have a dog... that's your very first step to making a bad guy think twice... and you don't have to feed it. <br />
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<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N963.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6527721.7;dcadv=3632184;sz=180x150;lid=41000613802463511;pid=981660;usg=AFHzDLs6nrEbYUTs6WapscEVqufDE3_HjQ;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.kohls.com%252Fupgrade%252Fwebstore%252Fproduct_page.jsp%253FPRODUCT%25253C%25253Eprd_id%253D845524892870635%2526pfx%253Dpfx_shopcompare%2526cid%253Dshopping3;pubid=627427;price=%2429.98;title=Foppers+20-Pk.+Dog+Treats;merc=Kohl%27s;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.kohls.com.edgesuite.net%2Fis%2Fimage%2Fkohls%2F981660%3Fwid%3D500%26hei%3D500%26op_sharpen%3D1;width=85;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N963.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6527721.7;dcadv=3632184;sz=180x150;lid=41000613802463762;pid=BCI05698;usg=AFHzDLvRhheUw32LZNCcjMeZ-XnGdX5tSw;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.unbeatablesale.com%252Fbci05698.html;pubid=627427;price=%2439.93;title=Midwestern+Pet+Foods+S...;merc=UnbeatableSale;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fsite.unbeatablesale.com%2Fimg035%2Fbci05698.jpg;width=44;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-42546833509027388262013-03-14T12:01:00.002-04:002013-03-14T12:01:57.078-04:00Liberty?What is Liberty? <br /><br />Liberty is defined as- The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life.<br /><br />The state of being free.... within society.... from oppressive restrictions.... imposed by authority.... on one's way of life.<br /><br />Now my college professor always stressed that the root of the sentence is all that IS the sentence. The rest are only clarifiers, adjectives or adverbs and although there to help the sentence they sometime tend to muddy the waters.<br /><br />I say that the very simplest of sentences is always the simplest to understand and to comprehend. <br /><br />Liberty is- The state of being free from oppressive restrictions on ones way of life.<br /><br />Nahh... simpler still.<br /><br />Liberty is- <b>THE STATE OF BEING FREE.</b><br />Did you know that the basis of liberty comes from the feudal systems of our neighbors to the east? A "liberty" was a parcel of land that while still being inside the kingdom, was free from the rule of the king. That's pretty easy to understand, right? Brings new meaning to the phase "sweet land of liberty" doesn't it? <div>
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So why then is it so hard for our government to understand this very simplest of concepts?</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-78165968630630869752013-03-13T15:50:00.000-04:002013-03-15T13:32:59.133-04:00Original S.O.E. GearOk, gear check time! What kinda nonsense are you trusting your life to? One of the easiest tests you can perform on your duty, GOOD, Bailout bag, or downrange gear is this... look at the "Made in" tag. If it says anything other the "USA" then it's crap. Give it to your sister's kid to play G.I. Joe with... or whatever kids are playing these days. If he's from California maybe he can put all his Barbies in it. <br />
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Seriously though, where can you get good gear? I mean REALLY good gear? Yes, the cop shops like GALLS and GT Distributers sells some decent stuff, but it is marked up decently too. Hey, they gotta make a living too. Why not cut out the middle man and go with some great gear from a small town company in middle Tennessee. I'll even go out on a limb and say he probably isn't even a Vols fan... as I haven't seen ANYTHING in that gaudy orange color.<br />
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John Willis is the guy that makes this all happen. He is the owner... and has a significant influence in the manufacturing from my understanding. Also, it you are headed downrange and NEED something <i>now</i>, your order will get special treatment and you'll get it ASA freakin' P! Too, if you have questions, comments, or concers who do you think will answer those? You got it... John Willis. <br />
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He built his company from the ground up by using the best available materials to make the very best of gear that money can buy. About the only thing he doesn't make is ballistic underwear, but I bet if you really needed them, he'd do his best! So put on your big boy britches, and don't whine about the tag... this ain't gear for your six year old. Check out all his products at: <a href="http://www.originalsoegear.com/about.html">www.OriginalSOEgear.com</a><br />
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A word of warning though... Don't order something then not pay for it! He will dime you out by NAME on his page! Nothing like having all your buddies knowing you welched... cheapskate.<br />
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Oh yeah, did I say it was ALL handmade custom gear from Camden, Tennessee?<br />
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Check out his shop at this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSCvG398mdQ">shop walk through</a> on YouTube!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original S.O.E. Gear's Combat Cock!</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-66401534277036023772013-03-13T11:07:00.001-04:002013-03-15T21:33:23.610-04:00Child Safety!<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Ever hear the saying "You can tell a lot about a man by looking into his garage."? I firmly believe that to be true! When you look into my garage, you will see lots of stuff: welder, tablesaw, reloading equipment, weight bench, snowshoes, and lots of ongoing projects. What would that tell you about me? That I stay busy? That I am "handy" with tools? That I work out? How about all the above but probably not to the extent needed to master any! My point is, that simply by looking you can perceive a lot about me, right?</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Why would you not look into your child's "garage" and see what you can perceive about him or her? You think that would violate their 4th Amendment rights or something? He or she is YOUR CHILD, that have no rights to privacy that you don't give them! Would you rather make them mad for a few hours or have them die in one fashion or another because of their "right to privacy" that you gave them. You are a parent, not their best friend. YOU are responsible for their safety! </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">A friend of mine that happens to be a principle posted this and I re-post it here with her permission:</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">"<i>I know you are given lots of advice over the years so I would like to add my little food for thought your way! Please check your child's backpack often, remove any clothing, broken pencils, chewed gum, spitwad shooters, the erasers that have been broken to put in said spitwad shooter, any dead creatures (just kidding on that one), open</i></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><i> any wadded paper because it is more than likely something they didn't want you to see and while in the process, if your child runs frantically to remove something from his/her notebook - MAKE SURE you immediately ask for what that was.... We had operation backpack clean out last night and I am embarrassed, still in shock and mortified of what all I removed from that "little sack". My next advice - NO MORE BACKPACK!! If it can't fit in the notebook and you can't carry it then perhaps it is not a necessary part of your education!! Before you say it - YES I am an educator, even a school principal and we all need to be humbly reminded!</i>"</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I have no idea what she found in her child's backpack. One, it's none of my business and I won't ask. Two, it's irrelevant. I applaud her for taking the time to look!</span><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Recently a child died, alone at home after school because she wanted to get high. She had heard about huffing the coolant gas from her house's A/C unit. She went and filled a trash bag with R-22 refrigerant and went to her bedroom. She took a big breath of it and then, holding it.... she passed out.... then died.</span><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 18px;">(Background info: R-22 is the refrigerant gas Freon used in home A/C units. Kids are following a trend of "huffing" this gas because of the perception of getting high. This is a false high as R-22 will not get one high. What it causes is the displacement of the oxygen in the lungs and the perceived high is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. The coolant is much heavier than air and will stay in the lungs much longer than other inhalants used by kids to get high. This also happens with helium, however helium is much lighter than air and will rapidly evacuate itself from the lungs.)</span><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Afterwards, as the investigator was looking through her stuff looking for indications as to what had transpired, he found her pack. Looking inside he discovered several notes talking about "bagging" and how it is accomplished. There was even a picture on her phone from another kid showing her where to get the gas from the A/C unit. By all accounts this was her first time trying it, but she had been discussing it via notes and texts for several weeks or months. When asked, her mother said that she had never seen them and would never violate her daughter's privacy... Well, congratulations. You now have a dead daughter. The rest of her existence on earth will be very private from now on.<br /><br />Be a responsible parent. Do not try to be your child's best buddy. Check your child's backpack, telephone, computer, and if allowed by the school, check his or her locker! Be involved in your kid's LIFE and they will have one! You can be his or her best friend when they are grown, but while growing up, please, be a parent.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Inhalants are abused by 1 in 5 kids before completing high school. 35% of inhalant deaths were caused by Freon. 25% of those deaths were first time users. 88% of American homes have A/C with Freon.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Also: If you have a child coming into "That stage" in life... or if you have some in your neighborhood...</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/SOURCE-1-Refrigerant-Cap-Locks-10C218?Pid=search">R-22 Refrigerant Cap Locks</a></span></span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375720286464120623.post-45117369887576584422013-03-12T22:19:00.000-04:002013-03-13T11:56:53.927-04:00SEQUESTRATION!<br />
Some of you may know how I feel at the way our government spends our money. The term drunken fool comes to mind rather handily. Of higher concern than the spending is their logic in making decisions. ANY decision. I am amazed that these people can function independently and aren't required to wear helmets.<br />
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Take for example their version of "spending cuts". They believe, and it makes sense to them that if don't spend what was projected that it is a spending cut. That makes sense right? "We were budgeted for 300 billion this month and we only spent 285 billion... SUCCESS!" This is perfectly logical to them because it is LESS than they plan to spend NEXT month, therefore it is a spending cut! "This month we have cut our spending to only 700 million more than we spent last month!"<br />
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How about the logic of the current gun bans? It didn't work the last time we tried it, but they believe we need to try it again? Gun free school zones? Awesome idea! Just need to figure out how to get an insane murderer to obey a SIGN. Ammunition restrictions? Seriously? You want to ban hollow point ammo because it is more deadly, and want to go back to full metal jackets. So then in a legal shooting, the FMJ will pass through the intended bad guy and strikes an innocent bystander in the face. Then while you try to reload your seven round magazine while you wait on the bad guy to slowly... ever so slowly... bleed out from the seven holes you poked through him, he comes over and beats you to death with a pipe. Three deaths. <br />
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But these guys are only human, right? I mean we all make mistakes. Take for example all of us falling into the trap of blaming ALL of congress for the sequestration. I started falling for it too. No one wants to be seen as rubbing someone's nose in it that they screwed up. So when the democrats started whining about the mess their president created they started right in with "It's both party's fault!" No it ain't. Bull. I'll call B.S. all day long on that one.<br />
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You see, Bronco Bama came up with this idea as a threat to republicans a couple years ago. The republicans fell for it that time and gave him his tax increases for the promise of spending cuts... those didn't happen. Matter of fact, spending increased! This time he has started off with what a doomsday this will create. Then when he saw that the republicans weren't falling for it again, he had to talk it down as not being that bad. Why? Because he OWNS it. He cannot even try to deny it. All he can do is then try to shift the blame for the plan he owns onto the congress. The democrats there can't disown it either, so they try to rope everyone into it by blaming it on the republicans refusing to work with them. Really? After the JOKE of a budget Team Bronco submitted in December?<br />
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Most folks don't realize that for the three years prior the republicans have submitted a budget that the democrats pretended wasn't there. This year the republicans were tired of the games and told Team Bronco that since he had shot down every budget that had submitted they would bend the rules and let his people prepare a budget and then they would vote on it. He submitted a complete JOKE! Three parts to his budget: Raise taxes across the board, complete removal of the debt ceiling, and another stimulus. <br />
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Let's see... Another stimulus? Great idea! Spend more money that you don't have on things we don't need. Ohhh... Raise taxes across the board? Awesome idea! Except that that only raises taxes on Mitt Romney's 53% that everyone hates... you know, those that actually PAY taxes. But that is a wonderful idea. That would also give you more money for your stimulus! And what was that other one? Oh, right... complete removal of the debt ceiling. Seriously? You want a Chinese credit card with NO LIMIT on it? With your credit score of about 115? Fannnnntastic! We'll do that!<br />
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Wrong. When voted on by 100 senators it was 99 against, and 1 for. So 98% of the democrats and 100% of the republicans thought your budget was a joke! <br />
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So, if even the democrats were against an idea that anyone with two living brain cells would have voted against, why is everyone so quick to blame republicans? Because like I have already stated, the republicans don't want to be perceived as rubbing their noses in it. So when the democratic populace says "Everyone of them is to blame!" we start to fall for it. Not me! I applaud the republicans for refusing to back down when faced with Team Bronco's Chicago styled "bully politics" and keeping a travesty of a budget like the one above from passing!<br />
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Would you have passed that budget? <br />
Don't you agree that republicans are not to blame for Obama's self-created sequestration?<br />
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