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Friday, December 31, 2010

“The Truth is We’re Freakin’ Finished”

While Bob from Drinking With Bob may be a little bit emotionally driven he does a pretty good job of getting his point across. In the following video Bob rants about the failing public services sector in New York and points out what many of us already know:

(Video follows excerpt and commentary)

The truth is we’re freakin’ finished. The government has bankrupted this city, this state, and this freakin’ country. Meanwhile, they keep freakin’ taxing us. New York City is charging for services they can no longer provide. It’s like charging you for a movie they’re not going to make, or charging you a toll to go over a bridge that doesn’t freakin’ exist.

New York is just a microcosm of the greater problem facing the nation. As we reported in Doomsday Fear Mongers Get It Right Again, the cities and states are facing extremely serious budget problems which will eventually lead to a federal fiscal crisis unlike anything we’ve ever seen in America.

Bob discusses the problems New York is having with the lack of sufficient emergency personnel and law enforcement - and this trend is only going to continue to expand. Just about every state and major city in the country will be forced into the same cuts. They simply do not have the money to pay for these services anymore. Financial analyst Meredith Whitney stated in mid-2010 that the public sector will have to lay off 2 million workers over the coming 24 months - and that won’t even help them to break even, that’s just to keep operations going.

Currently, the focus is on the aforementioned public sector jobs, but consider what will happen as states can no longer afford public pension funds or health and human services like Medicaid and Medicare. Eventually, the contagion spreads to the Federal level.

The billions of dollars in services on which many Americans depend will start being reduced. This is going to hit Americans like an 8 pound sledgehammer.

We’ve become so dependent on entitlement programs, that the majority of people on those soon to be cut services will be left with nowhere to turn.

As early as the first quarter of 2011 we can expect to see massive protests, potentially even riots, as public pensioners and employees hit the streets because Republicans are now prepared to pass new legislation that will force states into bankruptcy - no more borrowing - which means states are going to have to make significant cuts to those pension funds.

Over the course of the next couple years, the outrage against forced austerity will continue to spread and will include all of those who have become accustomed to free government handouts, including those on welfare, health care, food stamps and unemployment. It’s not going to be pretty.

All the while, as government pulls services, they will move to raise taxes, either overtly or under the cover of doublespeak legislation or inflationary monetary policy.

Bob on the incompetence of Mayor Bloomberg and the state of affairs in America:



Author: Mac Slavo
Date: December 30th, 2010
Visit the Author's Website: http://www.SHTFplan.com/



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Saturday, December 25, 2010

FCC internet takeover faces potential roadblock

Just days after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided to essentially take over the internet, FOX News is reporting that a procedural delay could bring any new FCC rules to a grinding halt. Several Congressmen plan to take advantage of the 60-day waiting period required before any new rules can come into effect, and effectively block the new regulations.

Sens. John Ensign (R-NV) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) together are planning to introduce legislation to overturn the FCC's takeover before it can take effect two months after being published in the Federal Register. And according to FOX News, the FCC is set to publicly release the new rules in early January.

"This vote is an unprecedented power-grab by the unelected members of the Federal Communications Commission, spearheaded by Chairman Genachowski," explained Hutchison in a statement. "The FCC is attempting to push excessive government regulation of the Internet through without congressional authority and these actions threaten the very future of the technology."

The FCC flagrantly violated several previous court rulings by deciding on Tuesday to seize control of the internet. In a 3-to-2 decision, the FCC Commission essentially declared that it would begin policing the internet under the guise of "net neutrality", even though the agency cannot legally do so with approval from Congress.

Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), incoming overseer of the House Energy and Commerce Committte, has also indicated that he plans to stop the takeover "by any legislative means necessary." And with many new Republicans set to be installed in the new Congress, analysts say it is likely that any new FCC rules will eventually be overturned.

Sources for this story include:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...
Thursday, December 23, 2010 by: Ethan A


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Terrorist may poison the food supply (but the food companies already have)

(NaturalNews) Always on the terror streak, the mainstream media is now warning Americans that terrorists may strike the food supply by dumping poison into restaurant salad bars and buffets, for example. CBS News broke the story, quoting anonymous "intelligence" sources who insist that terrorists might use ricin or cyanide to poison foods in salad bars.

I have news for CBS, the federal government, and the terrorists: If you really want to poison the U.S. food supply, just use aspartame. It causes neurological disorders and yet remains perfectly legal to dump into foods such as diet sodas and children's medicines. You don't even have to dump it into the food supply in secret, either: You can do it right out in full view of the public. Heck, you can even list this chemical right on the ingredients label!

Or get into the MSG business. MSG, which is often hidden on "natural" foods under an ingredient called yeast extract, is a potent neurotoxin that promotes obesity and even cancer, according to some experts. Feed people enough MSG and they'll probably die of cancer sooner or later, and that counts toward the goal of terrorism too, doesn't it?

If you really want to get nasty and up the body count, start a hot dog company and dump sodium nitrite into your processed meat like all the other hot dog companies do. Sodium nitrite promotes aggressive cancers -- even in children -- and yet the USDA and FDA allow its use in the food supply (http://www.naturalnews.com/007133.html).

Better yet, feed the population genetically modified corn and then wait for the mutations to kick in. GMOs might actually be called a biological weapon because they cause so much harm to humans and the environment. (http://www.naturalnews.com/GMO.html)

Why be a terrorist when you can do so much more damage as a processed food company?

If you're a terrorist looking to poison the U.S. food supply, get in line, buddy! The food companies have beat you to it!

In the U.S. food supply right now, you can find toxic mercury, BPA, acrylamides, petrochemicals, dangerous preservatives, synthetic chemicals like aspartame, pesticide residues and artificial colors that alter brain function. The FDA doesn't seem to care about any of this, of course: All these poisons in the food supply are legal!

So here's a message to Al-Qaeda and all the other terrorists trying to kill Americans: Don't bother with bombs and missiles... just get into the processed food business!

Or, heck, if you really want to kill Americans with poison, get into the cancer industry! The "Al-Qaeda Cancer Clinic" could really rack up some body bags by doing what all the other cancer clinics do: Inject patients with chemotherapy and watch them die (http://www.naturalnews.com/029996_c...).

Seriously, if you want to kill Americans, all you really need to do is keep supporting conventional medicine and the FDA with its do-nothing position on dangerous chemicals that threaten the health of Americans right now. FDA-approved drugs kill well over 100,000 Americans each year -- a statistic that dwarfs the body count of any terrorist group.

Come to think of it, how do we know the FDA isn't already being run by terrorists? Their actions, which blatantly endanger American lives, are entirely consistent with the aims of a terrorist organization. (http://www.naturalnews.com/001894.html)

By the way, this is all depicted in a CounterThink cartoon I created in 2006 called The Food Terrorists: http://www.counterthink.com/The_Foo...

This cartoon anticipated today's terror news alerts by four years. That's because when it comes to the U.S. government's rhetoric on terrorism, it's not that difficult to see where they're taking it.

Want to know what the next four years will bring us? I'll soon be publishing a list of predictions for 2011 and beyond. Watch NaturalNews.com for that announcement.

In the mean time, you might want to steer clear of FDA-approved foods and drugs, because you just never know what's really in them.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

Sources for this story include:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010...




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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Magnesium Fire Starters


Many folks have those old magnesium block fire starters in case of an emergency, but how many actually know how to use them properly?

Forum Goer Tigger2 asked that very question over in this thread. Here was my answer:

Use the hacksaw blade to shave the block (which is the actual magnesium). Do this till you have a nice sized pile in/on your kindling. I usually take 5 minutes worth of shavings working at a slow pace. Then, take the hacksaw blade and hold it over the pile. Put the ferrocerium rod against it firmly and pull the rod back. This should send a shower of sparks against the magnesium. This should cause it to ignite.

Below is a video example from a non-affiliated youtube channel.




What is your preferred backup fire-starting method? Have you practiced it recently?

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Saturday, November 27, 2010

New York Preppers Roll Call

The New York Preppers Network is conducting a Roll Call on our forum.  If you are a prepper please check in.

* Here is a link to the Roll Call:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=184&t=6187



You have to be registered to check in.  If you aren't registered please join here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register


* If you are a HAM Radio Operator check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=6219


* If you are an A.N.T.S. member please check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=618&t=6220

Friday, October 8, 2010

Viking Turf Homes


The folks over at Failblog came up with this interesting article on viking turf houses. The technique is very similar to cob construction and provides for a tremendous amount of thermal mass. Though the original designs were very unhealthy (Fire pit with no chimney/flue? No thank you!) these could be adapted as mid-term to long-term expedient shelters.
-TL

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Thursday, October 7, 2010

New from New York

Welcome our new members:

Jubil05

Hello All:

New to the site, been prepping for awhile as I live in snow country...4 WD vehicles,extra chow on hand, generator, wood burning stove and other things required. Veteran, retired civil service, HAM radio operator. Looking to sharpen skills, build knowledge,network in Western NY area.

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=6073

Marksent

Small business owner in NY..my wife is retired..I'm working part time..
Always lived in the country..
Have always been self sufficient..
God-centered home..
Both A personalities..

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5980&sid=5877

hudval

Hello all, new member from behind enemy lines(NY).

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5945

tiiijaaa

I just found this site as I was looking for information on surviving the upcoming chaos we are all about to face. Although I won't be able to spend an inordinate amount of time here, I will most certainly be checking in from time to time. So hello to all from upstate NY.

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5885&p=55638

Rondygal

Hello all! Western NY here. Happy to meet you all. I am a disabled grandma who tries to put something back every payday because I believe food is going to become harder and harder to come by. I really like the concept of this site and am excited to read what others here have to say.

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5593&sid=7489

ranger61

:wave: Hello from Darien Lake New York everyone!I happen to come across this site and it looks very interesting.I have a long background in survival and prepping.I am looking forward to learning more from all of you,you can never get enough info in your life there is always something new to learn.Glad to be here with you all! :thumbsup:

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5555

ClosetPrepper


Hello,

Thank you so much for having this forum. Can't wait to learn from all the experienced preppers here.

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5394&p=51072

laditek

Hi! I'm Laditek and I've been prepping for a few years now (mostly getting camping gear and other BOB essentials together). I live in NYC with theLight and we split the preps between the two of us. I'm an amateur radio tech and love to do anything and everything related to fiberarts. Hoping to exapand my knowledge and meet some like-minded folks.

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5163

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Items For Your Prepping Library

Forum member TaffyJ posted about a particularly good series of books from the Hesperian Foundation. Here are the books available for download with links. Readers are encouraged to add them to their physical library by printing them out or purchasing the published versions.

The Hesperian Foundation requests email verification for downloads. The following links take you to their website:
A Community Guide to Environmental Health (Paperback)
Where There Is No Doctor (Paperback)
Where Women Have No Doctor (Paperback)
A Book for Midwives (Paperback)
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities (Paperback)
Disabled Village Children (Paperback)
HIV Health and Your Community (Paperback)
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (Paperback)
Helping Children Who Are Blind (Paperback)
A Worker's Guide to Health and Safety
Cholera Prevention Fact Sheet
Sanitation and Cleanliness for a Healthy Environment
Water for life
Pesticides are poison
Safe Handling of Health Care Waste
Women's Health Exchange
Global Health Watch 2005-2006
Global Health Watch 2
Where There Is No Dentist (Paperback)
The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

Some of the above books are also available in other languages. Check out Hesperian's Download Page for more information.
-TL

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

New New York Members

The New York Preppers Network Welcomes our Newest Members

urban bugger

Hi everyone just wanted to introduce myself to the forum. Im from NYC and thus am prepping for a bug in situation. Anyone else from NYC please feel free to say hello. I would be very interested in sharing ideas for prepping in an urban area particular to NYC where we are surrounded by water :shock:


to post your welcome please follow this link:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=4965

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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

How To Join The New York Preppers Network

Come learn survival, preparedness and sustainable living with us!

The Preppers networks are all about volunteering our knowledge and skills with each other. We share ideas, tips and basically network with each other to survive any type of disaster whether natural, man made, or economic. Information that you learn and share with others will help everyone learn how to find "Freedom Through Teaching Others Self Reliance."

Joining the New York Preppers Network is simple, and most of all, it's Free! To join, just follow these few steps.

1) Register to become a member of the American Preppers Network www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net The registration page is here: http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register


2) Once you have your account, go to the index page of the forum and do your first post by introducing yourself in the new members area. http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/index.php


3) Once you know how to do posts, visit the New York forum and introduce yourself. The New York forum can be found by scrolling to the lower section of the index page where you will find a list of states, or you can go directly by following this URL: www.NewYorkPreppersNetwork.net

4) After you've visited the New York forum, follow this link to learn how to join the New YorkPreppers Network group:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=564&t=2738


APN's success depends on your contributions. If you would like to donate to our organization by becoming a Gold Member you can join the APN Gold Members club by following this link:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/page.php?p=apn-gold-membership&sid=5b241e92a767cdfbe7a345c54dd55127
Gold Membership is only $5 per month. For a list of Gold Member benefits go here

Thank you for your support!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Potential Future Gas Drilling Effects in NY


This also effects other states where the damage has already polluted ground water, damaged landscapes and turned natural areas into a stomping ground. Be prepaired for the changes in
our habitat that will begin to threaten our lives as much as wildlife, and plant species.
Soon to be coming...to a town near you..

Tompkins Legislative Committee Advised on Potential Future Gas Drilling Effects
Members of the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee were told today
that local natural gas drilling in the Marcellus shale will likely
produce more above-ground emergency incidents—many stemming from human
error
—and social effects arising from an influx of drilling workers.

Dr. Theodore Them, MD, Chairman of Occupational Medicine at the Guthrie
Health Care System in Sayre, PA, also holds Masters degrees in Science
and Public Health and a PhD. In an hour-long presentation to the
committee, he spoke not only from his background in occupational
medicine
, but also from many years of experience as a geologist, who is
familiar with drilling operations throughout the country and with
Marcellus hydraulic fracturing operations during the past decade in
nearby Pennsylvania. Public Safety chair Nathan Shinagawa invited Dr.
Them to advise the committee on public safety and emergency
preparedness
issues related to drilling in the Marcellus shale.

The gas drilling, Dr. Them said, boils down to a matter of risk versus
benefit. With the highly concentrated natural gas supply in the
Marcellus shale, he cautioned that too much political pressure exists
for the gas not to be extracted: “The question is not ‘if’, it’s
‘when’,” he said, “…the trick is getting it out safely.” While much
focus has been on chemical hazards, the doctor suggested that “most
problems will be above ground”—related to aspects including
transportation, deliveries, and dilution of substances. And he
predicted that most hazards “are going to be people, rather than
chemicals” related to human error, since “mistakes kill.” He advised
that the drilling will produce “what you have now, but a lot more of
it”—more people, traffic, movement, trucks, and accidents.

Based on his experience in other locations, Dr. Them advised that an
influx of new workers will create social issues such as increased
crime, drug and alcohol problems, traffic, housing shortages, school
overcrowding, poaching, and the related effects to an infusion of new
money to landowners, including an increased number of scam artists. Of
the workers who will come in to drill the gas, Them said, “These are
hardened, tough, heavy-duty people who are used to a hard life,” with
“enough bad apples to create a problem.”

Danby Town Supervisor Ric Dietrich, who has been involved in the
Tompkins County Council of Governments’ efforts to assess potential
effects Marcellus drilling would have on the area and its local
governments
, expressed concern that there is much for local responders
to do to prepare within a relatively short time.

County Director of Emergency Response Lee Shurtleff stressed that the
area’s emergency responders are committed and well prepared to protect
their communities, and to handle a full range of challenges, and will
continue to train and prepare to handle the potential increased volume
of events that drilling could eventually produce.

Contact: Nathan Shinagawa, Chair, Public Safety Committee, 280-7557.

- END -

------
Marcia E. Lynch
Public Information Officer
Tompkins County
125 E. Court Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

Tel: 607-274-5555/ Fax: 607-274-5558

What is Hydrofracturing and how is it used.
http://www.hydrofracturing.net/

The Marcellus Project in NY and PA
http://nywellwatch.org/what-is-the-marcellus-shale/

http://www.ithaca.edu/naturallands/fracking/

What it really is in the natural gas industry
http://nywellwatch.org/2009/11/27/what-is-hydrofracturing/

Problems in other States
http://shaleblog.com/category/hydrofracturing/

http://www.baski.com/WWDR_AskHank_Hydrofracturing.pdf



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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Trees with multipurposes - landscaping and biofuel

^-My buddy in my tree pot
While visiting one of my other Prepper friend Nets, I was inspired to talk about my experience with volunteering locally to help learn more about our trees and green space. How important it is as drinking water, and how to not only better appreciate it, but identify some possible problems with my own landscaping plans, and benefits.

Here in NY I was a volunteer with our cooperative agency. They had us plant a bunch of "bio fuel" willows. Many places along highways as windbreaks and in some park lanes. The great thing about these (and they are being studied) is that they grow relatively fast, you can start them by just taking a one ft cutting and jabbing it into some dirt. (I put my cutting in dirt in a pot so I could keep my eye on it! I'm not easily convinced..lol) and when we had to go late fall, in the snow to prune them, I was offered some to take home for baskets or whatever else. So I helped prune and then started making two bunches of the thinner branches and some thick ones to store in my attic like local basket weavers used to do. (It used to be a trade industry here before Chinese baskets and then plastic baskets took over)

In fact I bent and cured a few to make basket handles and just now taking them from the attic. Though I did plan on this as a traditional winter project, my husband got ill so it had to be detained. (thankful he is feeling much more human, but not cured)
I feel its important for you to know about, because they grow so well, and are great for making fuel to run vehicles, as well as warming a stove, maybe you should look into planting a hedge row. They can be very useful windbreaks for other plant protection and typically get about as tall as two persons. You can shape them bushier or more single stem with longer branches. They tend to grow mostly upward instead of weeping. They are a light tan to yellow bark on younger wood to a deeper tan for the central or older bark. If you need sticks of any shape or size for a project, this is the way to get them cheaper and more convenient. Twigs..yes..Twig furniture, baskets, frames, poles for tomato plants (last seasons cut wood) or bean poles..You know how cheap these used to be, but not anymore! or you might want to build a living trellis by trimming the trees (topiary) and then you can twine or graft sections together into an arch..leaving the central part high enough to walk through. In the Spring time while awaiting for the walk through to truely mature, you could plant beans or even morning glories along the outer edge to give a color of blooms or useful food space by going up instead of out. If you like to learn more information, I included some links for you to check out.

http://www.heatingoil.com/blog/middlebury-college-plants-willow-trees-for-biofuel-1020/

Wikipedia has a good explanation also and the plant name identifier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_Biomass_Project

Last but not least. What we are doing here in NY state and Central Ny to learn about biomass and supporting local development as well as greener alternatives.
http://cnyrcd.org/
Then I was a volunteer working in contingent with CommuniTree Stewards to help get the willows planted.
http://www.esf.edu/energycenter/salix/willowbrochure.pdf

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Thursday, May 13, 2010

Are You Already a Prepper?

There are many aspects of being a Prepper. Some people already do some of the
same things a Prepper would do, but might not actually be a Prepper. Its complicated
and then again it's not. Really...

We all gravitate towards that which we know and understand best, so some may get to
know us a little bit and decide, oh well that's all a Prepper is....Ummm Maybe.

I know many times I write about gardening, seed saving, or methods of preparing of
food; but this is only one little aspect of the whole big picture. The part of being more
self reliant with ones self to some degree.

Some people feel disaster preparedness has to do with more every day possible turn of events, or being ready in case the power fails to come back on after a few hours or even days. What if your car were to slide off the road because of heavy rain or ice, or maybe just quit on a long stretch of road. Hot summer or mid winter both could be a challenge. All the way to the ultimate disaster loss of home, family members and job all at the same time. We felt that with 911 and the Katrina disaster. Even though I was not there it compelled me to take a few classes
at a training center in CPR and helping my neighbors if we had to open a shelter.

Who would ever think there would be a time when there was a divider page in your phone
book on how to plan for a disaster, dialing 911, or where to find the nearest shelter? Who
would rather not think of the worst and try to live more positive. Well part of being a
Prepper is preparing in various ways, the best you can so that if any disaster hits, you can
be ready in case it happens. I remember a few winters just after the blizzard we had in 1966.
Every time they said we had some heavy snow heading our way, the store shelves would empty
out by the time everyone got out of work to go home. It was sort of eerie to walk around a large
supermarket and literally see large empty spots. There was a limit on bread, flour and sugar and still the market had no problem emptying its shelves. Perspectives had changed.

Make a habit of checking your stored supplies on a regular basis. Even if its just buy ahead sale items to put away, and your not stocking up for any big disaster. Check cans for rust, bulges
and date or rotate newer items to the back of the shelf as best not to create a disaster.
Nothing like going for the flashlight and find the batteries have malfunctioned in your unit so
new batteries wont work. (Batteries that are almost discharged or worn can leak) We keep candles already mounted on safe holders with a way to light it, along with battery flash lights and generator types. (btw..Check those hand generators as we did just the other day and found one barely still worked and one the rechargeable battery failed in it. The unit we purchased was made with screws so you could open it, so it was worth the few extra dollars we paid and with some research found the right batteries to go in it.) We even purchased a solar light tube. We
used this for years during storms and to go up into the attic where there is no electric to
find things like Christmas decorations or camping equipment. It could light a huge room for hours (around 12) if used constantly.

I could list all the things you could possibly use, the very least you need, or even fancier systems that people have purchased. Just remember, that the back pack of supplies back home doesn't help if you can't get to your house or are somewhere else. If your home, and you have to leave, you cant take it all with you. So take some time to think of ways you may have already prepared yourself or maybe some way you could become just a little more by organizing some of the items in a safe reachable location.

Maybe you need to take a moment and open that pack and see where things are. Anything get borrowed out of a kit? Anything outdated or possibly be put in a better space. Even if you might be going to a shelter, its a good idea to try and bring ID, and your meds, and possibly a snack/or diabetic bag in case it takes longer than you think to get to another location or you have to wait for a transport or even getting through in your car; or heading to another family members home.
If an older family member brings up a memory of one of their struggles, this might be a good moment to inquire about what they would want you to do, or if they have what they need in case
something were to happen. Keep it matter of fact and upbeat, and maybe even understand how well they made it though that time.

Thanks for stopping by and reading this article. I hope that it helped in a positive way to think about what you have done or used to do.


















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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Welcome back....to Living

I am leaving my first message in a long time here. Just recovering from knee surgery and my husband is doing much better, at least stable with his cancer..Talk about a survivalist, I give him a pat on the back for what he has endured the last few months. Especially the part where you are not sure you can swallow food again. He said to me again he really wants to start reading the Ham net so I am bringing up the link for him and hope he will get involved.

I think staying busy is what we all need...My Irish mom once said to me "Living is what you do while you are waiting to die". A very solemn saying which one can take as negative or that what Living is what you make of it as eventually we all do die. It tends to make one take a moment and say a much more tender phrase or lend a helping hand instead of being impatient or intolerant. We all have had our trials in life and I don't think anyone ever gets away without facing a few..even if a good period in our lives helps us forget those bad spots that we can even say.."nope..not me! or Better yet..Never again!" Then all of a sudden "It" happens.

Remember the old Fable taught to us as kids? The one where the grass hopper fiddled all Spring, Summer and Fall and then when winter came, he was begging for food and a warm place from his neighbors..It was easier to get the point then as kids think more simply (at least they did) that he not only didn't bother to work towards security when food was scarce like most lowly of insect does if not hibernate or a combination of the two..He laughed and scoffed when others said..Maybe its a good time to start putting some extra food away on a shelf in case you have a lean couple months. When I was a young wife and then military wife, I would buy beans and extra flour and "staples"...I get kidded about was I going into the bakery business or something like Better Crocker.. Sure they loved my cooking but they didn't even understand why bother making a bowl of soup when you can purchase it in a can at the store?? We didn't know much about the difference between home made and canned except it took longer and sometimes you just about broke even unless someone suddenly gave you a basket of apples, or tomatoes or other items.

I read Mother Earth News in the 70s and just took it for what it was that there could be other ways to live not just because they were simpler but you didn't have to give half you pay check to the electric company...By the time I was ready to have children..my husbands career, and then the "standard of living" stated you could not bring up kids in a house that had less than for windows and two doors and indoor pluming. Oil lamps were considered fire hazards, Mind you some people here still live with well water and lanterns, and because they are grand parents or native or by some long shot of the imagination their families lived generations in the boonies (Are there any real boonies anymore?) you could get in trouble for not having the best in modern living... I had a couple friends who had to give up their dream of a house without electric because they could not have children there. Yet these were capable, educated persons who wanted to give up their city jobs and go back to living like their grandparents' parents.

Then suddenly it became interesting to have solar power..or earthen houses...it was quaint if you could build it off some dirt road on your back 40 or you had the money to invest in a solar powered system that were still in the trial and error stages. Not that they are not improving every day, just not cost effective for the average home owner. Unfortunately they were not worth the work until the cost of utilities got ridiculously high. This made utility companies less fearful of these alternative lovers, and figured it was just a fad. This leaves a further point..should the price go up before all the gas or oil is gone, or now so we can start working towards a transition? Nobody likes paying more, but every small increase, people just seemed to take it in strides till we had a super big hike in the cost of things we use.

Then to find out some of those bargain goods were not good to live in (wall board) eat or drink out of (earthen ware with lead) or even toys our kids would teeth or suck on... Our kids used to get rag or corn dolls, then plaster head dolls with bodies made of corn sacks. If a kid was lucky he got a rocking horse handed down or made by grandpa..wow. A bicycle was probably the
pull mule, and if a family could afford a bike, it usually was for delivering newspapers or getting to school on time. We actually had bike racks at school and you could park your bike without having to lock it to the holder! (Imagine that!)
Maybe all those things we used to make do with made us appreciate people more, or even think how lucky we were to have elder persons around making us a warm hat and scarf, warm and glad we had them. The family pet was with us its whole life and even most times served a purpose..Intruders, scavenger animals, warmth in the winter, or even to keep mice from eating next seasons grain.
So what dose all this have to do with being a prepper? I think alot..Its about humanity and having a reason to work towards a common goal and caring as well as preparing for what ever may come your way. With that I will say thanks for being there when you can and if you can't then pass it forward in the future. You know what I mean.
I always wanted to be one of those person who wanted to just ride the bus from one end to the other, and each time some young person in trouble couldn't find their bus money, I would put it in for them. When they said thanks, I would tell them to pay it forward.
One day I was waiting outside this church after finishing a participation class. That day I was catching a bus home when this man come struggling out with a box of food he could barely carry. He stopped for a moment and said it was a warm day..I agreed and took it upon to ask him where he was headed and he said "Downtown and then I have to catch a bus to the other side of the city". It was already late afternoon and if he walked downtown he would miss the line up and have to get home in the dark late if he were lucky... I started fishing out my money and seeing if I had enough for myself and asked..if you miss this bus coming you probably will miss the line up. He said yeah, but my family needed food and I dont have a car, so this is the way it has to be. I pulled out my change and put my bus money in a separate pocket and then went through and found him enough to get down town...He literally got a tear of joy.."You dont know how much I would have to walk and then looking in the bottom of my purse came up with the extension..he offered me some food...I said No thanks..just get the food home to your family..He asked what he could do in return...I told him someday you can do a favor for someone else. He smiled as our bus pulled up and at down town he went his way and I went my way..He felt compelled to tell me thanks again for $1.25 cents. I just smiled and said "good night"...

I hope all who happen to come along and read this or just happen to be passing someone on their trip through life. I hope your able to help someone too. Thanks for making me feel at home here at the Preppers network and I love all the messages I have read and the inspiration I had to continue on with a more positive attitude on life.

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Monday, March 22, 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Disaster Alert: Floods in Virginia , West Virginia , North Carolina , and New York

 The APN-Disaster Reporting Service thanks D_Loki for providing us with the following update:




January 26, 2010
Disaster Alert
Virginia – Heavy rains caused flash flooding in Augusta , Rockbridge and Albemarle Counties on Monday that prompted the evacuation of residents in low-lying areas. The Central Virginia Chapter deployed a Disaster Action Team (DAT), opened a shelter, placed an Emergency Response Vehicle on standby and provided Mass Care (MC) for shelter residents. The Shenandoah Chapter deployed DAT and opened a shelter for affected-area residents.
West Virginia – Storms caused river flooding that affected the residents of Greenbrier, Monroe and Pocahontas Counties on Monday. The Governor declared a stat of emergency for Greenbrier County and the surrounding areas. The Chapter deployed a DAT Team, opened 4 shelters and provided Mass Care to local residents.
North Carolina – River flooding in Surry County destroyed homes, damaged others and prompted the evacuation of dozens of local residents in the affected area on Monday. The Surry County Chapter deployed a DAT Team, opened a shelter, and provided MC services for the evacuees. The Northwest North Carolina Chapter deployed DAT and provided individual assistance to affected-area residents.
New York – A rainstorm that filled rivers and streams in the northeast portion of the state delayed flights and blew debris from buildings on Monday. The ARC of Northeastern New York Chapter deployed DAT and opened a precautionary shelter for local residents.
New York Preppers Network Est. Jan 17, 2009 All contributed articles owned and protected by their respective authors and protected by their copyright. New York Preppers Network is a trademark protected by American Preppers Network Inc. All rights reserved. No content or articles may be reproduced without explicit written permission.