Jan 27, 2015

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

future-looters
(Panic In Northeast: Tens of thousands raid grocery stores in search of food and supplies)
Time and again we are reminded why it is prudent to have a backup plan just in case things go wrong. You’ve already got car insurance, house insurance, medical insurance and life insurance. But what about disaster insurance? And no, we’re not talking about a piece of paper guarantee issued by some behemoth corporation who you’re supposed to call when things go wrong.
Real disaster insurance in this context refers to your own personal and familial emergency reserve supplies and strategies, to be consumed and implemented when all hell breaks loose.
What’s happening in the North-Eastern part of the United States right now – “Snowpocolypse” – should convince anyone who hasn’t done so yet to prepare themselves for short- and long-term calamities. They happen quite regularly all over the world. We’ve seen them hit time and again in both, first and third world nations in the form of storms, natural disasters and even economic meltdowns. Yet, despite the repeated media broadcasts of suffering and complete destitution often wrought by these events, millions of people still laugh at the notion that, as even the government recommends, you should have a two week emergency supply of food, water and other disaster gear.
It is these very people – the ones who call preppers crazy and snicker at their idea of prudent preparedness and self-sustainability – who will be out in force to loot, pillage and kill for these critical lifesaving supplies when a widespread disaster or emergency strikes their area. And no, we’re not talking about a 3-day scenario like a snow storm, which is limited in scope and comes with warnings ahead of time, with supply lines being restocked soon after the storm passes.
Rather, we’re talking about any number of events that are capable of crippling our entire nation in one fell swoop for an extended period of time lasting two weeks or more. These may include national-scale disasters such as a cyber-attack on our utility infrastructure, a super electromagnetic pulse weapon that takes down our power grid, or a massive financial collapse that locks credit markets and makes resupply of essentials like food, medicine and gas impossible.
All of these events and numerous others like them, though unlikely, remain a plausible and serious threat to our way of life because they are capable of literally sending us back into the middle ages overnight.
Should such a scenario ever become reality, then guess who’ll be coming over looking to take your supplies?
Here’s a hint. They’ve been lining up in droves at local supermarkets and clearing shelves all over the North East as a massive snowstorm approaches:
snow-storm-1
snow-storm-2
snow-storm-3
snow-storm-4
Store shelves are cleared within hours of people realizing that a disaster is in progress:
snow-storm-5
We know what you’re thinking, “it’s just a snow storm.” And you’re right. These short-term events are nothing to really worry about. Even if you got to a grocery store late and couldn’t get food or fresh water you can still go over to a friend’s house or perhaps knock on your neighbor’s door for some food to get you by.
But should the disaster facing the population be something more severe, when people have realized that no re-supply is coming because our just-in-time transportation system has shut down, then you can fully expect that frantic knocks on peoples’ doors will be ignored.
Then what?
The answer is simple. As The Prepper’s Blueprint author Tess Pennington notes inAnatomy of a Breakdown, you can expect widespread societal breakdown within 72 hours:
Have you ever heard the saying, “We’re three days away from anarchy?” 
In the wake of a disaster, that’s all you have is three days to turn the crazy train around before crime, looting and chaos ensue.
…
Multiple factors contribute to societal breakdowns including failure of adequate government response, population density, citizens taking advantage of the grid being down and overwhelmed emergency response teams.
For whatever reason, 3-5 days following a disaster is the bewitching hour.During this short amount of time, the population slowly becomes a powder keg full of angry, desperate citizens. A good example is the chaos that ensued in New Orleans following the absence of action from the local government or a timely effective federal response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In such troubled times, people were forced to fend for themselves and their families, by any means necessary. This timeline of Hurricane Katrina effectively illustrates “the breakdown,” and within three days, the citizens of New Orleans descended into anarchy, looting and murder
The majority of the looting, and certainly the despair, can easily be prevented with basic preparedness strategies that include managing your own food supply and stockpiling key supplies. In her free 52 Weeks to Preparedness web series Pennington outlines scores of essentials that you won’t really know you need until you need them, including food supply lists, medical items, toiletries, alternative power sources, and home defense tools.
At the very least, every American should have a stockpile, even if just a couple of boxes that fit in your closet, containing the following:
  • Meals Ready To Eat – These are full course meals that pack a caloric wallop and will suffice just fine for a period of two weeks or more. They are compact and easy to store, and given their relative low cost, are an excellent investment not just for emergencies in your home, but something to take hiking, camping or leave in your car in case you find yourself broken down in the middle of nowhere. High-density emergency food bars are another option to diversify your reserves.
  • Water Reserves – Expect water utility companies to be out of operation as employees stay home to care for their families. This happens in almost every major disaster, meaning that you either better have effective water filtration and treatment supplies, or have reserve water packets.
  • Medicine – Basic first aid kits are an absolute must. A small cut can do serious damage over a two-week period when there is no doctor.
  • Toiletries – You’ll want some reserve toilet paper, for obvious reasons. But also consider sanitation as a key preparedness strategy, because if your toilet doesn’t flush then things will get ugly very quickly.
  • For an extensive list of preparedness considerations, supplies and strategies check out the free 52 Weeks To Preparedness web series.
At last count some 1% of Americans, roughly three out of our nation’s 300-plus million people, have taken any steps to prepare. It’s a sobering statistic to be sure, especially considering that the Department of Homeland Security has warned people to stockpile at least a two-week supply of food and water rations just in case.
Most Americans, it seems, still think the government will be there to provide assistance when the worst happens. The problem, of course, is that despite the millions of meals-ready-to-eat they have stockpiled, they will not have the resources to deal with 300 million desperate people.
The following statement from one San Francisco resident hit by last year’s West Coast storm pretty much sums it all up:
“I couldn’t get my car out of the garage, I have no food, I have no cash, so I’m trying to forage for something.”
After the 72-hour mark this individual and others like him will have no choice but to go out “foraging” for food. They’ll likely be armed, operating in groups and they’ll be going door-to-door.

Related Reading:
Beware: Ex-Military Soldier’s Survival Plan Is “To Hit Preppers”
How Horrific Will It Be For The Non-Prepper?
Prepare For Any Disaster
Create a One-Year Food Supply
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Contributed by Mac Slavo of www.SHTFplan.com.
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All About Buying, Starting and Saving Vegetable Garden Seeds

Ever since last Sunday’s Farm Update article on our Top 8 Vegetable Plants, (see: 8 Must-Grow Varieties ) our inbox has been inundated with questions about our seed starting, growing and saving process.
Some of our heirloom seeds from Baker Creek
Some of our heirloom seeds from Baker Creek
Every question from where do we get our seeds – to when and how we start them indoors – to how and what seeds we save from year to year.  So we thought we would take today’s farm update to share our seed saving and growing process, and help to answer some of the questions that have been coming in to the blog.  We have also included links in each section to more in-depth articles on each topic. So here we go:
How and Where Do You Buy Your Heirloom and Organic Seeds?
Probably the most asked question to our email inbox and blog last week was “Where do you buy your seeds?”  It’s extremely important for us to make sure we start high quality, organic seeds – especially since with many of them, we save them from year to year.
Over the years we have fallen in love with a few companies that have proven to be the best of the best. – Baker Creek (Rare Seeds), Seed Savers Exchange and Johnny’s Seeds are probably our top 3 go-to seed companies when purchasing. I have to admit – Baker Creek is simply amazing for their catalog alone – their attention to detail and side stories on heirloom plants and varieties are one of my favorite reads each winter. It is so popular – you can usually pick a copy up at your local library.
Our Sangria Pepper plants came from seeds saved from a single purchased plant a few years back
Our Sangria seeds came from a single purchased plant a few years back
Beyond purchasing from seed companies – we also try a few varieties from year to year that might be given to us by friends, or picked up at places we happen upon.
That is exactly how we found two of our favorite’s – our Chinese Five-Color Pepper seeds were a lucky find at a Florida farmers market we visited one year, and our Sangria Ornamental Pepper seeds came from a plant I purchased for Mary at a little back-road greenhouse a few years back.
And that leads to the next question…
What Seeds Can Be Saved – And How Do You Save Them?
Although you could conceivably save and grow almost everything in your garden – some crops, like carrots – have to grow for two years before they produce viable seed. Others, like heirloom cucumbers need to be separated by such a long distances to avoid cross-pollination (1/2 mile in some cases), making it far easier and reliable to purchase them each year. A good rule of thumb is to save what is the easiest and most productive for your garden.
We save both our ladyfinger and strawberry popcorn seed from year to year
We save both our Ladyfinger and Strawberry popcorn seed from year to year
For us, we save most of our own tomato, pepper, peas, beans and popcorn seeds – and leave others like carrots, cucumbers, onions and more to the experts at the seed companies to “save” for us.
Only open-pollinated plant varieties (often referred to as heirloom) can be saved successfully to bear the same crop year after year. Unfortunately, hybrid plants will not.  Hybrid seeds are a cross of two or more plants – and the seeds from those plants will never produce the same crop again.
It is important to store your seeds in a cool, dark environment with low humidity.  Some people save their seeds in a refrigerator – but we have always had excellent luck with simply drying them out –and then placing in marked and sealed envelope and storing in our basement.
How and When Do You Start Your Seeds Indoors.
When to start seeds indoors is always the million dollar question. For many of the typical vegetable plants (i.e. tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc.) – it is standard practice to start your plants 4 to 6 weeks before planting day.
There is something so exciting about starting plants from seeds
There is something so exciting about starting plants from seeds
We like to use 6 to 8 weeks however as the standard count back date.  It gives us plenty of time to grow them on the stand – and then begin to harden them off on warmer days on our back porch.
Starting your own seeds indoors does not have to be an expensive or daunting task.  You can successfully start your own seeds with a simple set-up of inexpensive flourescent shop lights set up over an open table.  As a note – although you can use a sunny window of your house – it’s hard to get seedlings to grow straight using natural winter sunlight from a window.  You need to turn them constantly – and the seedlings tend to grow thin and skinny trying to reach for the light.
One Final Piece of Advice – Start With A Plan – Or End Up With A Jungle!
There is one final piece of advice we have learned the hard way over the years – before you buy a single seed or plant – come up with a plan!  (see: Our 2015 Garden Plan, and :How to Plan To Can and Save Big).
Our 2015 Garden Plan - Planning now helps  you order the right seeds for  your garden
Our 2015 Garden Plan – Planning now helps you order the right seeds for your garden
Take a little time now to figure out what you want to grow, and of even more importance – how much room you have to grow it in. If you don’t – it’s easy to order 10 times as many seeds as you can possible use, or bring home plants from the nursery that will never find space in your garden.
So with that – the countdown is on! In just a few weeks we will begin to plant our first seeds of our 2015 garden crop on our indoor stand – and we look forward to another great growing season in the garden – and of course – on the table!

Jan 26, 2015

Video: Americans Want Obama To Repeal The Bill Of Rights: “Let’s Do It, Let’s Get Behind It”

Editor’s Note: The Sheep are so easily led it’s almost frightening.

repeal-bill-of-rights
Beachgoers in San Diego blithely agreed that President Barack Obama should be given the power to completely repeal the Bill of Rights in the name of fighting ISIS in another disturbing insight into the unthinking malaise of many Americans.


Told by media analyst and author Mark Dice that Obama had announced he was to repeal the Bill of Rights in order to “help make sure that we can keep everybody safe here in the homeland,” almost all the respondents agreed that eliminating constitutional rights was perfectly reasonable.

Asked, “Is that the right decision – should we get behind Obama to make sure the ISIS threat doesn’t rear its head here in America?,” one man responded, “Yeah I would agree with that,” before adding, “Only time will tell whether it’s the right or wrong decision,” agreeing with Dice that Obama’s political advisors “know what’s best”.
When another woman was told that both Republicans and Democrats were supporting the move to repeal the Bill of Rights, she responded, “Well if they’re agreeing on something then maybe it is a good thing,” before Dice adds, “It’s what’s best for the new world order.” “Well, let’s do it, let’s get behind it” urges the woman.
Given “what happened overseas in Paris,” another man agrees that if the “experts” think the Bill of Rights should be repealed then Americans should support the move.

Dice then interviews a woman who “absolutely” supports the move to repeal the Bill of Rights “for our own good” and to stop ISIS attacks. The woman then admits she is drunk and probably shouldn’t be doing interviews.
Another man unflinchingly expressed his view that it would be “best for the country” to repeal the Bill of Rights and “modernize” the new world order. “That sounds great to me,” he exclaims.

“Whatever he wants to do it’s probably best for the country,” agrees another woman before adding, “Go Obama!”
Dice’s video once again underscores how Americans will dispense with critical thinking and go along with virtually anything if asked about it in a calm and assertive manner. Note how Dice nods his head as he is asking the question, prompting instantaneous fealty and obsequiousness from each individual.

Last week, Dice also trolled San Diegans by telling them that Martin Luther King, who was murdered nearly 47 years ago, had just died. Instead of correcting him, the respondents went on to concur with several other erroneous claims, such as King being the first African-American to walk on the moon and the first African-American to appear on Mt. Rushmore.

The beachgoers seem to be particularly fervent about relinquishing constitutional rights. In number of separate videos, Dice gets them to agree to repealing the 1st amendment, the 4th amendment and the 5th amendment.
In another segment, college students sign a petition to imprison all registered gun owners, while in another video San Diegans support a move to confiscate guns from Tea Party members and repeal the 2nd amendment.

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Paul Joseph Watson is the editor at large of Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com.

How We Kept The Cottage Warm in Winter

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Morning Tess,
I read that article you sent me. All seem very sensible suggestions, but as you thought, it was very different at Knowle Cottage in winter. I had to do the very opposite of some of the things that the gentleman suggests.
For a start off the door to the stairway, was left open to allow heat to move around the house. There was no double glazing back then so all the curtains were very thick and heavy, in the worst of the weather, we would leave the upstairs curtains drawn all day to retain heat.
We had small grilles in the ceilings that allowed heat to pass between the two floors of the house. You could close them off by sliding the little knob on the outer edge of them. They helped, but not that much in the coldest winters.
Many a time there would be a thick layer of ice on the inside of the windows upstairs, but there was nothing you could do about it. We let the children get ready for bed downstairs and the beds were warmed with large smooth stones that we had set on top of the range, or in the oven if it was empty, to heat up throughout the day. It took the chill off and made the beds more comfortable for the little ones. we only had cotton sheets back then and they are not the best thing for very cold nights.
The range was more efficient than an open fire, much less fuel was needed to keep it hot. Also, being a huge lump of metal the whole thing heated up so when there was nothing in the oven we would open the door and the extra heat would flow out of it into the room. One of my cousins had an open fire and they burnt through wood far faster than we did and their home was always chilly in the winter. Many times they dragged the mattresses downstairs and concentrated on keeping that one room warm day and night rather than use the bedrooms.
All the floors downstairs at Knowle were granite and they sucked the heat right out of you. The kids would put a quilt on the floor, on top of the rugs to sit on, and they always had a couple of pairs of socks on to keep their toes cozy.
You asked what I would say to those who might be thinking of following an off-grid life in winter…well, I think keeping it simple is the best thing:
  • Cover your floors and cover them well. remember to make sure you don’t trip over them (done that more than once) Loose floor coverings are far more dangerous in an open fire home than a modern one.
  • Get a metal range or a wood burner as they are more economical on fuel and the metal itself stores up heat. They are also safer and easier to cook on than an open fire. (Done that as well, very uncomfortable)
  • If you only have the option of an open fire consider lining the sides of the fireplace with metal sheets which will throw out extra heat.
  • Use very heavy lined fabric for curtaining and leave as many drawn as you can to retain the heat you have built up.
  • Wear clothes suitable for the conditions. The times I have seen my grandchildren moaning it’s cold and then turning the heating up when they are sitting there in a short sleeved tee shirt. Dressing appropriately is the cheapest and I think most effective thing you can do to combat cold.
  • Find a way of heating the beds for at least an hour before you turn in. Large smooth stones work well as do their modern equivalent, hot water bottles.
  • Don’t use pure cotton sheets in the winter, they don’t hold the heat, go for brushed cotton or even fleece which is really warm.
  • Make sure you have the fuel and supplies you need on hand, preferably in or very close to the house. Constantly going in and out not only chills you but cools the house down as well.
  • Eat properly. Gnawing on a lettuce leaf may be the modern way but in cold weather, you need food with more substance. Soups, stews and casseroles are simple to cook on a range or open fire and provide the energy needed for an off-grid lifestyle.
I think that’s about it Tess. Most of these things are common sense, but I do think people often tend to overlook the obvious. Living off-grid is a purer way of life, a cleaner way of life, but you spend a good proportion of your time planning for things that are months away, because everything takes so much longer to do.
Much of what was everyday normal for me, and for many others my age now has to be learned because there have been so many developments. My lifestyle was in many ways identical to the lifestyle of my mother and grandmother, and their grandmothers before them, but that’s not the case now. Self-sufficiency does not come naturally to most people these days.
Listen to me carrying on, I’m getting to be a right old wind-bag aren’t I? I hope to hear from you soon Dear, love to the family.
Regards,
Maud

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Jan 24, 2015

How the UN Is Confiscating American Homes and Controlling All Food and Energy

This article was originally published by Dave Hodges at The Common Sense Show.

un-soldiersIn times of crises, the government has proven, time and time again, that it cannot be counted on to adequately protect the American people. As the American people have not prepared for the coming dark days, they will be vulnerable to starvation, dehydration, cholera, pandemics and attacks from resource-deficient  looters. Will the government be there to save them? History has already answered this question in the negative. Events such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, L.A. riots and the Ferguson riots have repeatedly demonstrated that when trouble comes, the American people will be on their own.
When disaster strikes, it will take less than 24 hours until grocery stores are empty, the utilities are down and neighbors begin to prey upon neighbors.
Obama Criminalizes Independence
Certainly, no government can be all things to all people. Subsequently, the government should be in the business of encouraging its citizens to be independent. However, the Obama administration has taken the opposite approach. Instead of the government empowering the people to be self-sufficient, this administration is punishing independence and self sufficiency.
DHS actually published a “Right Wing Extremism Manual which demonizes and targets normal citizens with labels such as “preppers” and have further defined the act of becoming self-sufficient as being the actions of a domestic terrorist. It is ironic that DHS is the one who has ordered millions of FEMA caskets, 2700 armored personnel carriers and 2.2 billion rounds of ammunition. Yet, it is only the wholly independent people, only desiring to be left alone by their government, are labeled as domestic terrorists.
America Is Witnessing the Manifestation of Agenda 21
Any aware person knows that Agenda 21 is predicated on eliminating private property ownership and keeping all people within the “system”. Drinking raw milk, engaging in off the grid living and heating your home with a wood stove is forbidden. All of these prohibitions and more are presently encircling America as the Agenda 21 noose is tightening around collective necks.
un-confiscatingMany unaware Americans still mistakenly believe that they have dominion over their lives and personal choices. These same people mistakenly believe that the government does not care if you want to live independently of their corporate cronies  who own the utilities. They want you in their system so they can continue to exploit your resources for their benefit. Take the case of Robin Speronis who tried opting for renewable non-grid tied power and utilize environmentally friendly composting toilets and his own self-sufficient water supply. If one commits these acts in Florida, that person could go to jail.
Speronis lived off the grid, independent of Cape Coral’s (Florida)  water and electric utilities. Not to be denied the revenue to them owed the subjects of Florida, the utilities took Speronis to court and the judge ruled this off-the-grid living was illegal last week . The judge labeled the Speronis home as being “unsanitary” and cited the International Property Maintenance Code in the ruling.  Wikipedia further  exposes the fact that the International Property Maintenance Code derives its authority from Agenda 21 and ICLEI and that this “regulation” bootstraps its authority into the following domains.
  • International Building Code
  • International Residential Code
  • International Fire Code
  • International Plumbing Code
  • International Mechanical Code
  • International Wildland Urban Interface Code
  • International Existing Building Code
  • International Property Maintenance Code
  • International Private Sewage Disposal Code
  • International Zoning Code
  • International Green Construction Code…
Subsequently, we have an American judge, in Florida, citing UN mandate to forcibly evict an American citizen of their property and nullify their Fifth Amendment Rights. Speronis also faces jail time for noncompliance with international law.
If you read nothing else in this article, I strongly suggest you heed this warning. In two years, local and state governments will have the ability to begin to seize individual property for the failure to meet code, usually in the area of energy efficiency and international code compliance. In the near future if one cannot meet the burden of upgrading their older homes into meeting the standards related energy compliance, by United Nations standards, one could have their home confiscated without any compensation.
More Agenda 21 Insanity
The latest round of Agenda 21 insanity is coming from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA has recently imposed new heating rules as of last year and the date of enforcement has long last arrived.
un-confiscating-2The insane application of Agenda 21 policies knows no bounds when it comes to the EPA. Also under the auspices of the International Property Maintenance Code, the EPA has introduced new standards for wood stoves which dramatically reduces the amount of fine particle emissions for any wood stove sold in 2015. The emissions must be reduced by 33% with more reductions scheduled for 2019.
At issue is the unsubstantiated claim that the EPA is making that if the use of wood stoves are reduced, the health of the residents will increase. Yet, the EPA does not offer any peer-reviewed research, which has been replicated, as proof of this bogus claim. Are we just supposed to take their word for it? We might as well face the fact that the EPA is controlled by ICLEI and their United Nations puppet masters.
Who Are the Real Terrorists?
We are under attack from the skies and through the poisoning of our air through massive chemical spraying complete with Alzheimer’s and dementia causing aluminum sulfate and cancer causing barium. Fukushima radiation, Corexit spraying and the resulting toxic rain from the Gulf oil spill is running rampant over our country and not one ounce of mainstream media coverage is afforded to these dangers. Prevention and remediation from these dangers, caused by governmental indifference or complicity, are not put into place by our present government.
Our water is being systematically removed from the country by Nestle, and our water tables are being systematically compromised by environmental toxins and of course many Americans are consuming water permeated with IQ-lowering rocket fuel (i.e. fluoride).
Americans are now in the midst of being subjected to the death panels of Obama care in which citizens over the age of 70 are officially referred to as “units” and are targeted for comfort care but not given life saving measures. Under these conditions is it really in our best interest to remain “in the system”?
This is an undeniable, unmitigated and naked version of Eugenics cast in the same flavor as that practiced by Margaret Sanger, Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler and when Americans try to extricate themselves from these assaults upon their liberties and their health, they are increasingly marginalized, and prosecuted.
Conclusion
Who’s the real terrorist here? Why is the Obama administration embracing international mandates which criminalizes independent behavior and choices in violation of our Fifth Amendment rights?
If you have the courage to really answer these questions, I would suggest you dig into world history and read about the Holodomor  and discover the real motivation behind forced compliance which results in total dependence on the government for life-sustaining services should become readily apparent.

Jan 23, 2015

50 culinary hacks to make you look like a pro

NEWZ 2015-01-23



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