Attack On Arizona’s Internet Was the Beta Test for the Implementation of Martial Law

At approximately noon on February 25, 2015, the Internet went down in a wide swath ranging from just north of Phoenix stretching to Flagstaff, Arizona. Internet service was restored the following day around 1pm local time.
The very first reports I received about the outage, coming out of Wickenburg and Prescott, was that the ISP from Century Link went down because a car crashed into a transformer. Shortly after that, reports stated that a construction crew hit a power line causing Internet service to go down. From the Phoenix media, we now know that this was the work of “vandals” who discovered where cables, buried several feet underground,were located in the midst of rough terrain. These “vandals” subsequently cut through the Internet cables which were inches to a foot thick and this was the cause this massive outage.
The event had a crippling effect on local communities from central to northern Arizona.

-911 service and the communications of first responders were taken down.
-Point of sale debit/credit card transactions could not be initiated due to the outage. 
-ATM’s did not work.
-Banks were not able to access their computers and were forced to issue paper receipts for any deposit.
-All cell phone providers were inoperable except for Verizon Wireless. 
-Most cable companies were not able to carry programming (e.g. Phoenix TV stations) due to the takedown of live streaming. The same was also true for many radio stations. 

In short, businesses, schools and personal lives were totally disrupted. Yet, the national coverage afforded to this major event was negligible as I discovered after calling friends and colleagues from across the country to gauge their reaction. As of yesterday afternoon, most people had not heard about this event. I am not surprised as similar events transpired in both Florida and Oklahoma, AT THE SAME TIME! Steve Quayle shared the following email with me last night which described a similar event in Oklahoma:
 

Steve,
I just read with interest the Q Alert about phone and internet being out at mid-day from north Phoenix to Flagstaff yesterday.  We dropped internet here in NW Oklahoma (outside Woodward) about mid-day yesterday as well. It happened twice, about an hour later for about 20 minutes at a time.  No explanation was given by the provider (Pioneer Cellular and Internet). We have cell service, for which the data was messed up, but the towers were still operative. 
About that same time, NOAA Space Weather lost data for several hours … complete blanks in their monitoring systems.
Interesting this is all going on about the same time the FCC was preparing to take over the internet.
Blessings!
Dane
 

Whatever hit Arizona on February 25th, also hit two other states at about the same time. This was a well-coordinated attack.
 

The Key Word of the Day Is “Vandals”

The media has been very uniform in describing this act as the work of “vandals”.

-Independent Channel 3 referred to the outage as the work of
“vandals”.
-Phoenix CBS Channel 5 also used the word “vandals”.
-Phoenix Fox News, Channel 10, described this as the work of “vandals
-Phoenix NBC, Channel 12, said this Internet take down was perpetrated by “vandals”.
-Phoenix ABC, Channel 15, also used the word “vandals”.   
-AZ Central, the website for the Arizona Republic used the word “vandals” to describe the origin of the attack.
-Even the BBC and Russia Today used the word “vandals”.

For those of us that have covered events such as this, we can often smell a cover-up when we see the repetitive use of a key word or phrase. In this case, the key word is “vandals”.  In this instance, the implied use of the word “vandal” is designed to indicate that whomever attacked these cables, presumably owned by Century Link, were amateurs who were engaged in some kind of prank. As I investigated further, it became clear that this was a well-coordinated and well planned attack by persons with expertise related to the attack. Further, whomever did this had to have had specialized equipment to cut through these cables. The simple act of just finding where these cables also required specialized knowledge.

This was a very sophisticated operation in which these remotely located cables, in rough terrain were located and cut with precision. The getaway was effected without so much as leaving a clue and we are supposed to believe this was the work of “vandals.

 

My Professional Contacts Weigh-In

This was also an “in-and-out-job” which left no clues and no traces. Amateurish “vandals” with nothing better to do did not take down the Internet in the manner described. That is also the opinion of several of my contacts who would be, or would have tasked with assisting in the investigation and the restoration of service.
Nearly two decades ago, I was a Maricopa County Volunteer First Responder. I did so until DHS took control of the operation in 2002. As such, I received specialized training related to various forms of terrorist attacks and the likely response protocols to each attack. Subsequently, I developed many friendships and contacts in this business. Yesterday, I contacted a dozen of these people and I heard back from four. Two are still active and two are retired but still retain volunteer status related to their expertise. All five of us are unanimous in that this was not the work of vandals, this was an attack requiring inside information, specific training and and specialized equipment. Two of my contacts believed that this was a beta test performed by Muslim terrorists (e.g. ISIS). Two others thought this was a dry run rehearsal for a preemptive strike upon the grid on the eve of war (i.e. Russians and/or Chinese). Additionally, at briefings held by the FBI in 2005,  two of the men stated that they were told if it was necessary to invoke martial law, they would take down all communications so dissidents targeted for arrest could not warn each other. Additionally, the Phoenix media is reporting that the Phoenix PD was in charge of investigating the vandalism. However, one of the four people I spoke with stated that DHS and the FBI were on the scene and were controlling the investigation. The Phoenix PD was releasing prepared media releases and were repeatedly using the word vandals.

Who’s Is Responsible?

I reside only seven miles south of the impacted area. I have learned from some locals that accessing the sight of the crime is not possible. Security personnel, without any identifying insignias, were in place and were turning unauthorized people back. I have been told that this was not a typical crime scene and until late yesterday afternoon, this had become a highly secure area.

As I contemplated the opinions of my fellow and former first responders, I have tried to determine who is correct and who was likely responsible and what was the motivation for the attack.

Grid EX II allowed Russians and Chinese military to participate in this simulated take down of the grid.

Fifteen months ago, I reported that, against all common sense, the Russians were being allowed to participate in the highly secure and classified Grid Ex II drills in November of 2013. Since this was the period of time that President Obama was attempting to justify the invasion of Syria, and Putin was threatening nuclear retaliation for doing so, I was among those who questioned the logic of allowing the Russians to learn the intricacies of power grid organization.

Nearly one month ago, I reported the depth and degree that the Obama administration had been penetrated by individuals with clear and undeniable connections to the Muslim Brotherhood along with their influence in DHS and the Fusion Threat Centers.

Two weeks ago, I reported that DHS has assumed control of all intelligence gathering information and this meant that operationalizing a mobilization effort to secretly arrest dissidents, under NDAA provisions (i.e. the Red List spoken of many times by Doug Hagmann and Steve Quayle), was now very likely based upon a hostility rating known as the “Threat Matrix Score”. I further reported that there are two programs designed to round up people who are viewed as a danger to the status quo. The two operations are labeled “Operation BOA”, as in boa constrictor, and “Operation Lightening Strike”. I have some operational details, but at this point they are still sketchy. Suffice it to say that Operation Lightening is the 3AM round up of all perceived dissident journalists and even some local politicians. This will be accomplished on a single night of terror. Operation BOA is a more deliberate process and will focus on more non-media threats such as outspoken veterans, gun rights activists, etc.Martial law will not be called martial law, it will be labeled as “Continuity of Government”. The announcement of the procedures designed to enhance the “Continuity of Government” policies will be made by a four star General from NORTHCOM. ”
 

“Not a matter of if, but when”.

 
Let’s not forget that when was Janet Napolitano was leaving DHS she warned that attack upon the grid was not a matter of if, but when.
Napolitano did not issue this warning once, but twice before leaving DHS.
 
 
“A massive and “serious” cyber attack on the U.S. homeland is coming, and a natural disaster, the likes of which the nation has never seen is also likely and on its way.” 
Outgoing DHS Director, Janet Napolitano, August 27, 2013
 
In  seeming unrelated actions, yesterday, the Obama administration enacted two more unconstitutional Obama decrees: (1) Obama is using executive actions to impose gun control on the nation, targeting the top-selling rifle in the country, the AR-15 style semi-automatic, with a ban on 5.56mm ammo on a fast track, immediately driving up the price of the bullets; (2) The FCC took complete control over the Internet (private citizen communication) yesterday. The first action is clearly a move to remove citizens ability to defend themselves against the forces of tyranny at some future date. The second move is designed to cut off the head of the Patriot movement and severely impair communications. These are both martial law related actions.

Connecting the Dots

Both Steve Quayle and I agree that we witnessing the introduction of the “Red List” strategy. What happened in Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma was a martial law preparation beta test designed to simultaneously take down communications. Why would DHS want to take down communications? When the Red List roundups begin under Operation Lightening Strike, the powers that be do not want to allow their intended round up targets to be able to warn each other. Further, the crash of the ATM’s and point of sale transactions limits one’s ability to go on the run.
How do Russians factor into this? We know from surveys done by various organization (29 Palms military base) that American troops cannot be counted on to fire upon American citizens. Therefore, the Army manuals pertaining to FEMA camps call for the use of foreign assets. This would be the Russian troops that I have repeatedly reported are in the US training on American soil for martial law implementation. Why do you think they were allowed to participate in the Grid Ex II war games?

Conclusion

What happened over  three state region was not the actions of “vandals”. This was a highly coordinate and sophisticated attack upon certain aspects of our grid designed to take down communications and commerce. I suspect that Russian Spetsnaz were the boots on the ground for this beta test in preparation for martial law. The only question which truly remains is how far away are we from complete implementation of this operation?

 

http://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/2015/02/27/attack-arizonas-internet-beta-test-implementation-martial-law/

Making Raw Apple Cider Vinegar at Home

The best apple cider vinegars are organic, unfiltered and raw (unpasteurized).
I personally use scraps (peels and cores). This way I get to eat my apples and make vinegar too. Or if you are making a pie or apple sauce… instead of throwing away the scraps, you can start making your first vinegar.
You’ll need:

• apple peels, cores and any browning/discolored flesh from pesticide-free apples (I used only 3 of them)
• one large jar (for fermentation) and another one to let the vinegar rest
• a rubber band
• Cheesecloth or floursack cloth
• Honey or granulated sugar
• Water

---

Peel the apples and fill you container by at least half way with your apple scraps (peels & cores), seed, stems and all. If at least half the container is not filled, add additional apple scraps until you achieve this level as a minimum.
Make sure the pieces are big enough to strain out easily later (no puree).
Pour in room temperature (filtered) water until the chopped apples are completely covered and the container is just about full leaving 1-2 inches at the top.

---

Stir in the raw honey or cane sugar until fully dissolved.
Optional: you may add yeast to speed up the process of fermentation (Special cultivated yeasts are available for this purpose at wine-making shops).
Tip: You could use raw apple cider vinegar to jump start this fermentation, use 2 Tablespoons per quart.

---

Cover the top of the glass jar with cheesecloth, a thin white dishtowel or floursack cloth and secure with a large rubber band.
Stir the mixtures daily. Keep the containers away from direct sunlight and maintain the temperature at 60 to 80 degrees F.
The healthy bacteria that create vinegar require oxygen for the process, so it is important not to seal the container with a lid until the vinegar is as strong as you want it to be.

---

Leave on the counter for about 1 week.
Bubbles will begin to form as the sugar ferments into alcohol.
As you can see it did some bubbles – a good sign that bacteria had eaten the sugars and had produced carbon dioxide in this process (aka fermentation)
When the apple scraps no longer float and sink to the bottom of the jar (see picture) after approximately one week (but it can take 2), the hard apple cider is ready.

---

Strain out the apple scraps and pour the hard apple cider into another glass jar.
Cover with a fresh piece of cheesecloth and secure with a rubberband. Leave on the counter in an out of the way spot for an additional 3-4 weeks to allow the alcohol to transform into acetic acid by the action of acetic acid bacteria.

---

Flouting in your vinegar you’ll find “Mother of vinegar” – a substance composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, which turns alcohol into acetic acid. This is normal!

after 4 weeks

Gently dipping a spoon somewhere around the edge of the “mother” where it touches the container, gather just enough of the vinegar for a taste. If your ferment tastes quite acidic or pleasant to you and you are ready to bottle your vinegar
Filter the liquid through several layers of fine cheesecloth or filter paper—a coffee filter works well for this. This removes the mother of vinegar, preventing further fermentation or spoilage of the product.
If the vinegar highly acidic and you find it almost too potent you can simply add some spring or filtered water to mellow the acidity.
Raw apple cider vinegar doesn’t go bad, but if you leave it for a long time, another mother culture will likely form on top.  This is fine, just strain it again and dilute with a bit of water if the taste has become too strong. If you want to prevent this from happening you have to pasteurize the raw vinegar.

---

Learning how to do stuff on your own its an important skill (and could be a way of life), not only to save money or to stay away from GMO’s, but to better yourself. And in darker times or in time of crisis to be able to support and sustain  your family without much outside aid. This is one of the things that I’ve learned from a well-known army officer vet Steve Walker, for whom I have all the respect in the world. Watch his video and learn quite a few efficient and unconventional fast-tips about protecting your family in time of war or social chaos.

---

Pasteurizing the Vinegar (optional)

Pasteurizing destroys the living bacteria in the vinegar stopping any more growth, stabilizing the flavor and lengthening shelf life
To pasteurize you vinegar, pour the vinegar into a large stainless steel or enamel coated pot.
Over medium heat bring the vinegar up to 140 degrees and hold it at this temperature for 10 minutes. Be careful not to boil your vinegar. Turn off the heat and allow the vinegar to cool, uncovered. Once it’s cooled, pour the vinegar into your storage container and seal until ready to use.

Caution

Two factors require special attention when making vinegar at home: oxygen supply and temperature. Oxygen is spread throughout the mixture by stirring it daily and by letting air reach the fluid through a cheesecloth filter, which is used in place of a regular lid. The temperature of fermenting cider should be kept between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (F). Lower temperatures do not always produce a usable vinegar, and higher ones interfere with the formation of the “mother of vinegar”.
Do not use a metal container when making vinegar; acid in the mixture will corrode metal or aluminum objects. Glass, plastic, wood, enamel, or stainless steel containers should be used for making or storing vinegar.

http://www.askaprepper.com/making-apple-cider-vinegar-home/

Sharpen a Knife Using a Common Household Item

A friend told me about this knife sharpening method and I got really curious I had to try it myself.

Dull knives are dangerous!  I’ve cut myself a few times by using a dull knife – instead of cutting properly, dull knives will skip or slip and cut you.  That is why I am obsessed with always having sharp knives, and a knowing a few ways to sharpen knives comes in handy.

I have a few other ways I want to try, but today, I will tell you about sharpening a knife using a coffee cup.

You need:

knife
coffee cup
stable surface

Turn the cup upside down on a stable surface.  I used a chopping board.  Using your right (or left if you are left handed) hand, hold the knife at about a 30 degree angle against the unglazed bottom of the cup.  Make sure the blade is facing away from you.  Run the blade across – I did an upside down U from left to right, then from right to left.  This way the blade is always facing away from you.  However, my friend just draws the blade across the bottom of the cup, as though cleaning the blade against it.  Either way seems to work.

After about five to six swipes, the knife should be sharp.

I tested the blade by cutting downward a piece of paper with it and it was very sharp.  It was much easier to slice and debone a chicken with my newly sharpened knife.

(Your results may vary.  Take precautions and go slowly when trying this out.  Make sure there are no kids around who may be tempted to try it.)

http://apartmentprepper.com/

Shock Report: Domestic Black Sites Now Operational: “When You Go In, No One Knows What’s Happened To You”

         

For nearly two decades alternative media has warned of government internment camps where citizens would be disappeared, detained and tortured with no regard for their rights. For nearly two decades the notion has been dismissed by the general population as just another conspiracy theory.
But a new report out of Chicago suggests that not only are such facilities real, they have now been actively integrated into the nation’s law enforcement apparatus.

The Chicago police department operates an off-the-books interrogation compound, rendering Americans unable to be found by family or attorneys while locked inside what lawyers say is the domestic equivalent of a CIA black site.
The facility, a nondescript warehouse on Chicago’s west side known as Homan Square, has long been the scene of secretive work by special police units. Interviews with local attorneys and one protester who spent the better part of a day shackled in Homan Square describe operations that deny access to basic constitutional rights.
…
“Homan Square is definitely an unusual place,” Church told the Guardian on Friday. “It brings to mind the interrogation facilities they use in the Middle East. The CIA calls them black sites. It’s a domestic black site. When you go in, no one knows what’s happened to you.”
Source: The Guardian

According to those who have been detained at the site against their will and absent their natural and constitutional rights, the Chicago facility is exactly what you might expect from a government run internment and detention center.

• Family members and attorneys are unable to locate a detainee because those arrested and sent to the black site are never entered into booking databases. They are simply “disappeared.”
• Detainees are beaten by police in what can only be described as torture.
• Access to phone calls and judges are restricted so once you are in there is no way to call for help to let anyone know you are there
• Attorneys are denied access because the site has been deemed a high security facility
• People are regular shackled for extended periods of time

Keep in mind that the people in these facilities, because they are never sent through proper booking channels, are being held without charge or trial, a gross violation of the U.S. Constitution.
We’ve previously warned that these are exactly the kind of scenarios that would result from anti-terrorism legislation like The Patriot Act and the National Defense Authorization Act.

On December 5th [2011], ahead of Congressional voting, Senator Rand Paul warned that the new legislation would allow the government to detain American citizens under terrorism laws without evidence, charge or trial. Specifically, Paul cited the government’s own broad definitions and characterizations for domestic terrorism or suspicious activity as involving those who, among other things, own guns, ammunition or store food.
…
The very fact that this bill was ever penned and allowed to get as far as it has gotten in our Constitutional Republic is cause for concern. A glimmer of hope existed for a few weeks when the President claimed he would veto it if it came to his desk. As has been the case throughout this administration’s term, however, our hope was for naught. Someone, somewhere needs this legislation to pass. To what end we can only speculate.

In the following video Senator Rand Paul sounded an eerie warning. As has been proven with the Chicago black site, his warnings have now come to pass:

Know good and well that someday there could be a government in power that is shipping its citizens off for disagreements.
…
Do you want to have your government have the ability to send you to Guantanamo Bay for indefinite detention?
…As a suspect. We’re not talking about someone who has been tried and found guilty. We’re talking about someone suspected of activities.

Rand Paul, Ron Paul and scores of Americans who repeatedly warned about this were designated as having gone off the reservation.

It’s not so far out of the sphere of possibility now, is it?

Given the recent activities of government with regards to stockpiling weapons of war, ammunition, body armor, riot gear, and armored vehicles, one can’t but help to think that they are planning on something serious taking place in America.

Evidence for the existence of black sites, known up until this point as government run internment camps, or FEMA camps, has been presented to the public for years with little interest. And chances are that the majority of the public will likely brush this report off as a non-issue, just as they have done before.

But make no mistake. This site and others like it are real. And one day, should the government be allowed to continue with such operations, it may well be you or your family members that get detained and disappeared.

And when we say disappeared, we mean disappeared:

“It’s sort of an open secret among attorneys that regularly make police station visits, this place – if you can’t find a client in the system, odds are they’re there,” said Chicago lawyer Julia Bartmes.

This is America, 2015.

 

http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/shock-report-domestic-black-sites-now-operational-when-you-go-in-no-one-knows-whats-happened-to-you_02252015

Walking: Survival Fitness and Exercise

If you lack good fitness, fail to exercise regularly, or you are generally ‘out of shape’, even though you might have all of your preparedness supplies and extra food on hand (ready for SHTF) – you still aren’t ready because in a post-collapse world there will be little time for sitting on one’s ass all day.
Here’s one thing you can do to improve your ‘survival fitness’…


You might have a year of food storage and supplies for you and your family, but do you have the fitness, strength and stamina to walk for 10 miles? (or even 1 mile?) Are you physically fit enough to work hard all day in a garden (for example)? Do you have any idea how much more physically difficult your life might become while surviving after a major collapse?

Watching and observing others while out in public places, it is evident that there are many (the majority?) who appear to be overweight and likely ‘out of shape’. While not being judgmental (just observing), these same people will have great difficulty in a world tipped upside down where things don’t come so easily.

While we enjoy the creature comforts of our modern world, an unfortunate side effect is that we as a modern society are not getting anywhere near the exercise and physical activity (generally speaking) than what was meant to be. As a result of eating less nutritious food (junk food) coupled with living the lifestyle of a ‘couch potato’, we have become fat, spoiled, and out of shape. This is not a recipe for successful preparedness.

For those who are into preparedness, it will do you well to consider your circumstances should you need to become ‘really’ self reliant (independently or within a group) – post collapse scenario. When the modern systems have failed around you, there will be much more physical labor required of you during your new daily duties. If you cannot do it today due to being overweight or out of shape, you will not be able to do it tomorrow if you need to.

What to do?

Just move. Stop sitting so long. Walk. Walking is perhaps the best single thing you can do to improve yourself in this regard. No need to run or jog – just walk. It gets the blood flowing, walking burns calories and will help manage your weight, it strengthens stamina, walking improves your mood, it helps to focus your mind, it can lower your blood pressure over time, walking is said to lower your ‘bad’ cholesterol while raising your ‘good’ cholesterol, it could reduce risk of diabetes, and will generally make you stronger and more fit.
 
All it takes to reap these benefits is a routine of brisk walking. Research shows (Mayo Clinic) that regular, brisk walking can also reduce the risk of heart attack by the same amount as more vigorous exercise, such as jogging.

Walking is a gentle, low-impact exercise that can ease you into a higher level of fitness and health. Walking is a form of exercise accessible to just about everybody. It’s safe, simple and doesn’t require practice. And the health benefits are many.

So, do not ignore your ‘survival fitness’ while making your preparedness plans…

http://modernsurvivalblog.com/health/walking-survival-fitness-and-exercise/#more-19101

Exploding or Bursting Canned Foods

These are generic cans of food which leaked. These were dated 2009.  (Picture by preparednessadvice.com )

 
       When I was a child my parents kept a basement of emergency canned food.  It wasn't so much for fears of nuclear attack, I think, but more out of concern for a protracted Winter storm or a series of such.  At the time, we lived in a farming area in the Northeast, and some of the Winters there conjure my memories of Siberian Winter. I remember in particular many cans of grapefruit, pineapple, and tomato juice, and of course lots of fruits, vegetables, and canned meats.  I remember that most foods at that time, could be retained for ten years, regardless of the coded or uncoded dating system. After a couple of years in the basement, canned food was sent to the pantry upstairs for consumption.  In all those years I don't think we ever needed to throw a can away.
              I stock short term food supplies, and long term supplies in my own home, and I always have. The short term supplies are canned, just as they always have been, and I stock the #10 freeze dried canned varieties for long term storage, as these will last ten, twenty or even thirty years depending upon the type of food packaged. Both standard canned foods and the #10 freeze dried varieties are stored in areas which are both heated and cooled in order to lengthen their shelf life. These tend to be cool places year round.
              After about two years in temperate storage, I move the regular canned goods to the large pantry in the kitchen for consumption.  With a large family and a lot of sons, it has been rare that something hasn't been consumed and gets discarded.   I also have a couple of rules about buying canned goods.  I don't ever buy dented cans simply because I am buying for storage. I am content to pay a little bit more for the ability to store for a longer period.  In addition, I have noted that many of the generic cans of vegetables and fruit are now made of much thinner cans than they used to be. Some will actually click and pop back and forth if you test them with your thumb, which is something I was taught they should never do.
               A few years ago, after the 5.8 earthquake which destroyed homes and schools in the next county, I took a good look at all of our canned foods. During the quake, canned food was thrown up against the pantry door.  I checked everything for dents and bulges and I did throw a few things away in the event that there had been an unseen rupture.  A short time after, we had an explosion, or more correctly a seepage under pressure from a can of dog food which had a pull top lid.  The dog food was not stored in the area I had checked so closely.  Black foul smelling greasy spray had contaminated the cans around it, the shelf liner, and some cleaning products I kept nearby in another cabinet.  I threw out all of the sprayed materials and decided to keep a more careful watch of anything with a canned pull top lid.   I cleaned the area around it with gloved hands and bleach, before allowing the cabinet to dry and then later restocking.
                  This year while pawing through canned fruit while considering what type of cobbler to make for dessert, I found that a large can of peaches, which I had purchased about a year ago had leaked black bubbling fluid onto a number of other cans of fruit. 

  
 I donned vinyl gloves, removed the offending can and the five other contaminated ones. It seems that cans are being made far thinner than they used to be and that the seals to some of them are not holding. Bacteria is seeping into some of these cans and when a gas is eventually produced, the can either ruptures or explodes causing you to lose other cans, which after such severe contamination, cannot safely be cleaned and used. Interestingly, the offending can came from China as did the five others that needed to be thrown away.
In view of this, I am considering new canned storage guidelines which I have interspersed with some of the common sense old ones:
1. I think that in future, we will buy more freeze dried food in #10 cans. and fewer conventionally canned foods.
2. Since the cans from China and Thailand definitely seem thinner, and I tend to stock canned foods rather than use them immediately, I plan to avoid cans entirely which were not canned in the US.  I do occasionally buy food from the Asian grocery and I have not found the Japanese food to have poor canning quality control.

Also, with regard to the Chinese canned food, companies in China do not have the same liability as do American companies when selling canned goods here.   This is another good reason to be wary.
Liability for Products in a Global Economy by Dennis Campbell and Susan Woodley


3. I plan to consume acidic foods in cans more quickly than within two years.  Acidic foods would be tomato products, pineapple, mandarin oranges, etc.
4. In the past I did keep some canned Italian tomato sauce for pizza. I am considering buying it in glass jars now.
5. When you do buy canned foods, buy just three or four at a time, rather than twenty or twenty-five. You are more likely to get cans home without having them dented during packing or the trip home. The more cans they bag for you, the more dents are likely to occur. This will make stocking up during sales a bit more difficult, but perhaps we should pay a couple cents more and avoid the exploding can trap.
6. Always return or throw away any can that bulges from one end, seeps, has a dent over a seam, or clicks back and forth under pressure from your thumb.
7. Always unload canned foods from your car.  Don't allow them to remain in the car overnight during hot weather or during freezing weather.  Whether the can ruptures during freezing weather or not, storing canned food in unheated or uncooled areas costs its lifespan.
8. We will continue to keep canned foods in storage in heated or cooled locations that are dry to ensure their maximum lifespan. Avoid cans which are rusty. They should be stored in areas where rust does not form.
9. Select generic cans carefully.  Some generic cans seem to be made of thinner metal than others.  We can still use generics, but we should select the more substantial cans. Be alert to labels which are stained, indicating leakage from somewhere, perhaps that can, perhaps another.

10. This also impacts something else we do.  When I am able, I donate new canned goods to a food bank, and sometimes to church. Although these are used by church pretty quickly,  I have no idea how long the food banks stock supplies before giving them out.  In future, I will donate only boxes of canned food which comes from Sam's Club which is not only American made, but is known to be very fresh by virtue of rapid turnover and good quality control.


Read more about this topic at:

http://shelflifeadvice.com/content/what-causes-canned-goods-swell-andor-even-explode-0

NEWZ 2015-02-24

2015-02-24

Paul Craig Roberts – Nuclear War Now Threatens To Destroy The World 

Breaking news: At least 30 hurt and some feared dead as Southern California commuter train hits truck and derails 

SHEILA ZILINSKY WILL BE PLAYING OUR PRE -RECORDED SHOW TONIGHT ON 'THE GATES OF HELL AND LITTLE CREATURES’-WE HAD IMMEDIATE INTERFERENCE WITH RED SCREEN AND X SHOWING UP ,HAVING TO RECORD SECOND TIME! 

'It Has Already Happened!' - Margo Seltzer: 'It Is Going To Get Worse :Seltzer then delves into other technology that already exists,such as mosquito robots capable of landing on a human being and taking their DNA 

In 1967, the CIA Created the Label 'Conspiracy Theorists' ... to Attack Anyone Who Challenges the'“Official' Narrative 

Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly assails GOP establishment for trying to coronate Jeb Bush 

RECORD US FARMERS SWITCHING TO NON-GMO CROPS IN 2015 Continue to vote with your dollar 

Drones overhead in L.A.’s Valley are tracking mobile devices’ locations 

SECRET TSA PROGRAM QUIZZES TRAVELERS RETURNING TO U.S. Federal agency interviews Americans abroad before allowing them to fly home 

City Found 360 Feet Below Missouri City, Giant Human Skeleton Found 

Vaccine vs. Virus: Which Is the Bigger Threat? 

Ex-Plunge Protection Team Whistleblower: 'Governments Control Markets; There Is No Price Discovery Anymore' 

Islamic State in Syria abducts at least 90 from Christian villages: monitor 

Iraqi Army Downs 2 UK Planes Carrying Weapons for ISIL: The US drops weapons for the ISIL on the excuse of not knowing about the whereabouts of the ISIL positions and it is trying to distort the reality with its allegations. 

Obama Is Lying About the West Coast Import Crisis Being Over: The Latent Effects Will Crush America 

ICE AGE NOW: Global Cooling Continues - Hudson River Freezes Over In New York, 120 Miles Of 1.5 FEET OF THICK SNOW; Minnesota Records A 'TEETH-CHATTERING' -41C Degrees! 

BE PREPARED, THE SIDES ARE FORMING FOR THE COMING CIVIL WAR 

Muslim Immigration Poses Serious National Security Threat 

Elites Letting You Know What Is Coming? Titan Statues Prep Tourists To Be Devoured At Universal Studios(BY GIANTS-NOTE THE SIZE!) 

This Will Create A Hyperinflationary Spiral And A Massive Panic Out Of The Dollar 

Hidden Secrets Of The Antarctic! What Is Buried Beneath The Ice Could Alter Mankind's Past, Present And Future:VERY IMPORTANT READ 

Are Siberia's mysterious craters caused by climate change? Scientists find four new enormous holes in northern Russia: THE EARH IS GOING THROUGH MULTIPLE PHASES OF UPHEAVAL,CRUSTAL SHIFT AMONGST OTHER FORCES ! 

Taps Run Dry In Brazil As Worlds Largest Water Supply Disappears 

Class action lawsuit claims Purina’s Beneful Dog Food is killing dogs 

When MEDICINE becomes MURDER: America's vaccine narrative now mirrors Nazi eugenics propaganda 

www.stevequayle.com

Top 10 Urban Survival Skills for when SHTF

Surviving the end of the world in a city will require skills slightly different from the skills required to survive in the country side. When SHTF in the city… you’re going to see a lot of death and chaos, it won’t be a pretty sight. More than anything, you’ll need your wits and a calm, clear mind which can be achieved when you’ve become competent with the skills required to face the challenges ahead. Here’s a list of the top 10 skills you’ll most likely need:


1. Basic Handyman Skills: Having basic carpentry, electrical, plumbing, welding, and construction skills will go a long way in a SHTF scenario.  You’ll need these skills to construct and repair various items that will help you and your group survive.
2. Medical Training: You don’t need to be a doctor but invest in advanced first aid training which is very affordable with the Red Cross and other organizations. Post SHTF you’ll most certainly be faced with doing CPR, amputation’s, basic dentistry, birthing, dealing with broken bones, cuts, and possibly even gunshot wounds.

3. Gardening and Farming: This is a skill that won’t necessarily be required in a localized disaster but it will be essential in a long term urban survival scenario where civilization as we know it won’t come back. If you don’t already have a garden, you’ll have to start a garden immediately post SHTF. In an urban disaster, the majority of food products will be gone within weeks, and so a garden will be needed as long term resource.

4. Bush Crafting: Even though you’ll be in an urban environment, traditional wilderness survival skills and bush crafting will be required. You’ll want to know about tying various knots, fire making, building shelters, hunting/trapping, gutting animals and etc.
5. Leadership Skills: Leadership skills can be trained and practiced. It’s highly recommended that you take courses or get experience in public speaking, effective communication, counseling, body language, coaching, and event planning as they’ll be crucial in team/family/community survival. The majority of people will be lost amidst the chaos when SHTF and they’ll need someone knowledgeable in urban survival for them to follow. Learning how to best delegate duties and lead others towards a common vision/goal will increase your chances of survival tremendously.
6. Combat Skills: Combat skills will be essential post disaster. Knife fighting, proficiency with firearms, hand to hand combat and having basic tactical knowledge will come in handy. Danger from other people will be at every turn in an urban survival scenario so it’s important that you’ll have the skills to protect yourself and others.
7. Security Services: This is a separate skill from combat skills as security entails a lot more than just fighting. Providing proper security in a dangerous post SHTF environment will require 24 hour guard rotations, designated patrol routes, early warning systems, barricades/fortifications, and extensive planning. There are a lot of books, courses and videos out there on this subject and the knowledge will definitely be worthwhile.
8. Crafts: Crafting skills like sewing, leather working, wood working, blacksmithing, soap making, candle making, basket weaving, pottery, knife making (to name just a few) will become extremely valuable post SHTF. You should get basic experience with as many of them as possible but find one you like and specialize in it.
9. Ham Radio: Ham radio (amateur radio) will most likely be up and running (with 99% certainty) after a disaster and so knowing how to communicate over the radio to gather and share important information will be invaluable in an urban survival situation. You could learn all the essentials and get your ham radio license with about 60 hour’s worth of study (check online for the study guides).
10. Survival Mindset: Having a survival mindset will probably be the most important skill for when SHTF. It’s a skill that can be developed and practiced by challenging yourself and practicing urban survival scenarios. Try living with the assumption that there’s no running water and no electricity for a few days or weeks a few times a year. Take classes in wilderness survival training, realistic fighting systems (such as Krav Maga), and challenge yourself with outdoor challenges or obstacle courses like the Tough Mudder, and the Spartan races. The survival mindset is about being able to improvise, having the will power to push on past your comfort zone, and maintaining a positive attitude while going through hell.

http://www.urbansurvivalnetwork.com/featured/top-10-urban-survival-skills-when-shtf/#more-3072

How To Garden In Raised Gardening Beds Today

I decided to try a different gardening approach a few years ago. Here in Southern Utah I have had trouble growing a garden. I have tried HUGE pots filled to the brim with Miracle Grow Potting soil designed for pots.  I have tried the Extra Moisture type potting soil as well. They did not work for me either. I didn’t get more than two or three tomatoes in those pots.  I even had special tubes watering them through the sprinkling system. The pots did not work for me here in the heat of the summer where we sometimes get temperatures up 110 degrees, too HOT for regular gardening!

Raised Beds For Gardening:

A few years ago I started with a few raised gardening boxes.  I bought the Suncast RBD939 48-Inch by 48-Inch by 18-Inch 6 Panel Tiered Resin Raised Garden Kit manufactured by Suncast.  I found these on Amazon. They are designed to be two levels…I didn’t want two different levels. I wanted mine extra deep (18 inches) so I bought three sets and just snapped together the sides of different sections to make the 4 foot squares I wanted. These are definitely something you can build on your own.  I filled them with Miracle Grow Potting Soil mixed with a little “dirt” that came in bags. The red clay soil here is way too hard. I have slowly been adding more and more boxes.
I have seen raised gardening boxes made with the white vinyl fencing and they look sturdy! I had to do these because I could not dig the holes for the white vinyl fence gardening boxes. When I lived up north I would have done those for sure. We have really hard clay soil here.
This year I will try planting seeds since I really want to know that I could survive eating from my own garden in case something unexpected happens to my family.  If you have tried any non-hybrid or heirloom seeds please let me know.

Gardening Tips:

I fill the raised gardening raised beds with soil up to within two inches from the top. My husband and I ran the black tubing to run the sprinkler full circle 360 degree spray heads. We have two of these full circle spray heads in each 48 inch raised gardening bed. We raise them about 2 inches above the soil in each box.

Gardening In Raised Beds Work:

After trying different gardening approaches, I realized that the best growing soil here in Southern Utah has to be 18 inches deep (above the ground). The soil is so hard that the roots could not grow deep enough in the ground. It might just be my imagination, but it works and I am so glad because I have to have a garden. Last summer I had so much lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers we had a fresh salad every night for almost 6-7 months. This saves me so much money and we are eating healthier!

Tomato Cages For Gardening:

The winds where I live can pick up unexpectedly and I wanted to have really good tomato cages, so I got the cages shown above called Sturdy Cages from a gardening center in the Salt Lake City area.  You can get some good sturdy Lifetime Tomato Cages, Heavy Gauge, Set of 4 on Amazon for a pretty good price. I purchased my “Sturdy Tomato Cages” at Glover Nursery in Salt Lake City, Utah.

My garden did really well last year. I had so many tomatoes, basil, cilantro and cucumbers I was giving them away! The zucchini did not do so well. I know it usually grows like a weed. I can’t buy the flimsy tomato cages because then I have to replace them every few years. Plus, they never hold the branches correctly. I have had these cages for almost 8 years. They must be lifetime cages because they still are as strong as the day I bought them.

It’s been fun to garden and see these various plants grow in my own backyard. I just ordered 3 more Suncast grow boxes.  Yes, I want more 48″ grow boxes! There is nothing better than fresh fruits and veggies from your own garden!

Have you seen rising food prices continue rising? I think most of us are taught as we grow up to be as self-sufficient as possible.  We see from those around us that with a combination of hard work, training and education we can find work and get ahead, thus providing the finances to support ourselves and those we love.  Most have also been told to plan ahead and have sufficient reserves so that we are prepared, just in case some unexpected event happens that turns our life upside down, whether it is an act of Mother Nature, a lost job, illness or accident.

Some things kind of sneak up on us.  We try to control our surroundings and work to make our homes and workplaces safe and secure.  But from time to time there are forces at work for which we have no input or control.  That is the case right now in the US due to the rise in prices across many sectors, including food.  I read an article recently in which this challenge was brought to my attention in a very strong way.  Those of you living in the east where a very severe winter was the norm may not be aware that much of the west, and parts of the mid-west, are experiencing a drought that is affecting food prices in a very adverse way.  Let me bring to your attention some of the issues currently at hand.

Serious Effects Of Drought

Drought over the past few years has had a cumulative effect such that the feed for cattle has been in decline.  If you can’t feed the cattle you sell them off.  In doing so the herds are getting smaller every year, and as supply and demand forces kick in, the price of the meat and dairy products go up since there aren’t as many ranches raising milk cows or sending cattle to market.  It has been reported that food prices are up over 21% just in the past 12 months.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea

Besides the effects of the drought on meat and dairy products, the country is also experiencing a perplexing problem in the hog market.  Many hog farmers are seeing their production drop drastically due to a virus called Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea that kills many young pigs.  With the pigs dying off in droves the price for bacon and other pig related products has skyrocketed like never before.  Researchers are trying to find a cure, but as of now they haven’t been able to prevent the disease from spreading or to cure the animals once the disease is contracted.

Bacteria Targeting Citrus Crop

There is also a challenge to the citrus industry in Florida right now.  The growers there are in panic mode due to a plant disease called citrus greening.  The bacteria causing the disease makes the various citrus fruits taste bitter and drop from the trees before they ripen.  The gardening disease affects more than the leaves, it attacks the root structure of the trees and doesn’t allow the fruit to stay attached long enough to mature for a full harvest season.  We may not be enjoying that morning tall glass of orange juice or lemonade in the very near future, unless we are willing to spend “an arm and a leg” for them.

California Is A Large Food Producer

One of our physically largest states, California, is also the prime region for the gardening production of many of the fruits and vegetables we enjoy as part of our everyday meals.  California continues to experience a years long drought that seems to have no end.  Although the tourist trade in California is huge, so is their agricultural production.  The California Department of Food and Agriculture reports that their state provides 99% of artichokes, 97% of plums, 95% of celery, 94% of broccoli, 90% of avocados, 90% of lettuce, 88% of strawberries, 86% of lemons and 84% of peaches for the rest of the country.  Most all of these foods are in shorter supply due to the drought, and things don’t look favorable in the short term since the drought continues.

Coffee From Latin America

Similar challenges are to be found in Latin America as it relates to their coffee production.  There is a fungus infecting coffee plantations in Mexico, Central and South America.  This fungus is call leaf rust (roya) and the trees simply choke from lack of nutrition.  There is no cure for this fungus, so the future of the industry as it relates to our most common sources of coffee beans is in serious doubt.

Future Water Concerns

Out west there is also constant dialogue about the growing population and the shortage of water resources.  The county I live in here in Southern Utah is talking about building a water pipeline from Lake Powell, a storage source using Colorado River water, to our area.  This pipeline is projected to cost in excess of $1.0 billion and they aren’t sure how they will pay for it.  The lake is already low from many years of drought.  The various states that rely on water from the Colorado River aren’t anxious to see this precious resource drained off simply because Southern Utah is a pleasant retirement location.  These kinds of conflicting priorities will surely become more prevalent in future years.

I don’t mean to paint a picture of gloom and doom, I just want us all to realize that no matter how successful we may be in making money to support the family, there may be circumstances beyond or control that will make providing all the food we need much more difficult if weather patterns stay the same and if the scientific community can’t solve some soil and plant diseases now plaguing our country.  For me, it simply supports my desire to plant and grow what I can, harvest and can/preserve what I grow, and to purchase and store for emergency use those items that I enjoy eating, and do so before the prices go up so dramatically that I can’t afford to buy them.

We all need to plan ahead, become pro-active, learn what is going on around us and prepare accordingly.  Let me know your thoughts about these issues and how you see yourself responding to challenges beyond your control. If you already have a garden, I applaud you! Some of us don’t have much land so we need to learn to “garden” in different ways…….

Please start gardening today if you haven’t already and buy weekly a few extra cans of the food you enjoy. Please stock up on beans, rice and wheat. If you can’t eat wheat then stock up on the foods you can eat. I am sure you are all aware of the rising food prices…

12 Off-Grid ‘Resilient’ Lessons You Won’t Learn In America

As the 20^th century dawned, Argentina was among the 10 richest nations in the world and rivaled the United States as the great land of opportunity. So many immigrants were pouring in that in 1914 half the population of Buenos Aires was foreign-born![i] It was a land of milk and honey — or rather, beef and grain. Argentina exported crops and cattle from its rich fertile Pampas and had the 10th-largest trading economy in the world.[ii]
All that changed during the Great Depression, when foreign nations grew too poor to buy Argentina’s agricultural exports; as such, Argentina could no longer afford to import industrial goods. Thus began a policy of import substitution industrialization (ISI), in which the government aimed to reduce foreign dependency by encouraging the manufacture of Argentina’s own industrial goods. This was done by enacting tariffs, quota systems, and tax incentives to protect domestic industries from foreign competitors, with the idea that eventually these businesses would no longer need protection to compete.
Although ISI policies helped the South American country through the Depression, in the long run they crippled her economy. Instead of capitalizing on Argentina’s strengths—the lush, arable Pampas and the abundance of agricultural workers—protectionism artificially promoted industry and manufacturing, leading to inefficiency and lack of innovation. Domestic products didn’t have to compete with foreign ones, so there was little incentive to lower costs or to improve technologies. And Argentina has paid the price: once the 10th-largest trading economy, it had fallen to 33^rd a hundred years later,[iii] with great income disparity and a standard of living that cannot honestly be described as first-world, despite an overabundance of natural resources.
Discover More Than 1122 Tips, Tricks And Secrets For A Healthier, Safer, Lower Cost, More Self-Reliant Life!
By necessity, Argentines have learned to deal with national debt crises, inflation, and economic instability with resilience and ingenuity – and we can learn a lot from not only them but other “off-gridders” in other countries. They are, after all, quite resourceful.

Argentina homestead, 1910

Here are 12 lessons:
1. Maximize your skills. Non-importation means that the material goods sold in Argentina were actually produced there, too. Low-income families employ cottage industry to survive: assembling soccer balls or doing piecework sewing. Since some products, like electronics, are very expensive, machines and appliances are repaired dozens of times before they’re thrown out. Learn some new skills: Take advantage of all the free excellent YouTube tutorials to learn how to do a home repair yourself, or to teach yourself a new hobby or skill that can make you money.
2. Eat the whole chicken. From enchiladas to tikka masala, every recipe we make calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts when in fact just about any part of the chicken will do. In Argentine supermarkets and pollerías, you can’t buy chicken breasts, or even drumsticks; chicken can only be purchased gutted, skinned, and whole. Next time you’re at the grocery store choking on the price of chicken breasts, throw American convention out the window and buy a whole chicken (much cheaper per pound) and learn how to use all the parts of it to cook up several delicious, frugal meals for your family.
3. Skip the packaging. In Argentina, eggs and produce are purchased from a local verdulería, where you carry everything home in your own shopping bag and wrap your eggs in sheets of newspaper to transport them without breaking. Instead of purchasing excessively packaged produce from Costco, buy it locally from your farmers’ market or CSA, and bring your own bag or basket to pack it in.
4. Eat fresh, local, and in season. Since Argentina imports hardly any produce, grocery choices are limited to what’s in season and being sold at the verdulería on the corner. That means no broccoli and cauliflower in the autumn, and no fresh tomatoes in the dead of winter; but then again, it means that every food is consumed in its optimal season, at the peak of its freshness and flavor, without having made a thousand-mile journey in a semi-truck. We’d be wise to follow suit and buy local produce in season.
5. Eggs don’t need to be refrigerated. Really, they don’t! Argentines never do. Eggs have a natural protective coating, called a bloom, which keeps germs and bacteria out. The bloom is blasted off with hot water and chemicals in egg processing plants; that’s why grocery store eggs must be refrigerated (not to mention that commercial egg and poultry farms are notorious for being filthy and salmonella-infested). But if you buy your eggs at your local farmers’ market, or get them from your own chickens, you can store up all the eggs your family needs for months and they won’t go bad (just make sure not to wash them until you’re ready to use them — use sandpaper or steel wool to rub off any debris).
6. Use chickens for pest control. If you raise chickens, chances are good that you let them out to forage in the yard every day. Chickens that eat weeds, seeds and insects have tastier, more protein-rich eggs. But have you ever thought about your chickens as free pest control? In Argentina, the combination of hot summers and irregular garbage collection means lots of cockroaches and pests. Many families combat this problem by letting their chickens roam the yard and forage all day. The chickens eat the cockroaches and the smaller insects that roaches feed on, thereby keeping their populations in check. It sure beats paying hundreds of dollars to hire someone to spray toxic chemicals all over your home.
7. Bundle up — even inside. You don’t need to keep your house at 70° F, or even 68° F, in the winter. The average Argentine home has cinderblock walls, a concrete or tile floor, and no insulation. Furnaces are non-existent; most people depend on radiators or space heaters to stay warm, and some houses have no heating at all. Dressing warmly isn’t just for going out; hats and jackets are worn all winter, even inside. Try it for a week; challenge your family to dress warmly and turn the thermostat down to 55° F or 60° F and watch your heating bill go down.
8. Cover your neck! If you’ve ever gone out on a cold day in Argentina without a turtleneck and scarf, you’ve undoubtedly been reprimanded by young and old alike. It’s the great Argentine secret for staying warm in the wintertime; everybody wears a turtleneck under their shirt every day, and scarves are layered up for insulation. Throw on a scarf and you’ll see how covering your throat actually makes a bigger difference than putting on a whole extra jacket.
9. Utilize bicycle transportation. Have you ever seen a soccer mom picking up two children from school on a bicycle? Or a painting contractor on his way to the jobsite toting an eight-foot ladder on one arm while he steers his bicycle with the other? In Argentina these are everyday sites (really!), since many can’t afford cars. Install a basket on your bike, and next time you need to grab a gallon of milk, ride to the local gas station or convenience store instead of driving your car to the supermarket.
10. Support your local economy. On every block in every neighborhood in Argentina, you’ll find a kiosco — a little convenience store set up in somebody’s front room. Maybe you don’t want to open a five-and-dime in your living room, but you can support your own community’s economy. Buy from small local businesses whenever you can. Hire a kid down the street to mow your lawn instead of a landscaping company from the neighboring city. If you have a bumper crop of zucchini, share some with your neighbors. Small acts like these build relationships and keep jobs and money in your community (which means better job security for you, too).
11. Clothes dryer? What’s that? In Argentina, virtually nobody has a clothes dryer. You can significantly lower your electric bill by drying everything on a rack or clothesline.
12. Wash your laundry in a bucket. Since only about half of families can afford a washing machine, hand washing is an essential skill. Establish a household rule to never run the washer for a very small load such as three items or less. Get proficient at sink-washing clothes, and teach your kids to do the same.

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2015/02/23/12-off-grid-resilient-lessons-you-wont-learn-in-america/