Massachusetts Preppers Network

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2011-12-31T22:16:00.000-05:00

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Build a solid grape support and grow wonderful grapes

2011-08-14T17:05:00.000-04:00

By Paul & Liz Stevens

Like many we wanted to produce grapes, and like many that dream seemed to always end up in disappointment, as the grapes would come on and seem to just dry up before they matured. We did the typical 4 x4 post with wire strung between them, but after the first few years when the grapes were really starting to take off the post were crooked, the wire was sagging and no matter what we did the vines always ended up touching the ground.

In touring the Amish country we began noticing one more step they use in supporting their grapes. They use the post and wire, but they take one additional step. At about 54” high they run a solid pipe through the post and drill through and bolt it at each post.
When we moved to Texas we decided to take that next step and built our new support using three post set so that we could run a 20’ 1-1/2” galvanized chain link fence top rail through the post. This meant we had to subtract 4” off each end of the 20’ so that the pole would go from end to end, with one post in the center. Before we set the post we wedged them plum and used a string level on our chalk line and snapped a line level at 54” high, then another line where we wanted the top to be. We numbered the post took each one back out and drilled strait through the center of each post on our drill press using the chalk line as our horizontal center point. We used the next size up forstner bit from the actual pole size to give a bit of wiggle room. We then drilled a series of 3/8” holes in each post space 16” apart starting at 12” from the ground. This is where we ran our wire through to attach the vines as they grow up to the main pole. We cut the post to length and set the post back into the ground. With some extra hands we went ahead and slid the pole through the tops, drilled through the end post and bolted them, after we had the end post plumb, we plumbed the center post and drilled and bolted it.

We set the post with just a little bit of concrete just to fill the post hole, plus we only needed to go down around 2’. With this system all the tension is held by the pipe at the top, so we didn’t need to attack it with a 3’ deep hole and several bags of concrete. That was our first clue that we were really going to really like this approach, a lot less work! To add a bit of fancy to the project we purchased the ball tops and screwed them into the top of each post. After the post cured we ran our wire through the holes having the pole across the top keeps the post solid, thus we were able to really stretch the wire without worry of pulling the post inward.

We started our grapes and carefully nurtured them as they grew to the top. We choose Muscadine Grapes as we know someone living in the Florida panhandle suggested them. They have much of the same climate as we do in central coastal Texas, and have tried several of the varieties from up North with no success, except for the Muscadine, with that said where you live will have a lot to do with the varieties that do well in your climate.

Well with all this work we thought we were ready to cash in on a great grape crop, nope after they started to really mature about five years ago, the same old story, they came on strong and then just shriveled up like a pea and dropped off. We have them in the irrigation system so we knew they were getting plenty of water. We did notice that we were getting a fungus on the leaves and would spray but that didn’t really help either.

As we drove through Texas we would always admire the wonderful grape vineyards and wondered just what the secret was that we were missing. As we began to look closer we noticed there were no leaves up to around 4’ from the ground. At first we thought this was just because the plants were more mature. We went home and peeled off all our leaves that were close to the ground and kept new growth from coming out at that level. We also fertilized the plants and to our surprise the fungus went away the plants filled out the grapes came on stayed and we had a great crop that year. This year will mark our 3rd year with a strong crop of grapes. Last year off four plants spreading across that 20’ section we were able to harvest enough grapes to make jelly and nearly five gallons of wine.

In total it has been eight years since we planted our grapes, the support is still as plumb and straight as the day we installed it, and it appears it will be that way for some time. We are really sold on this system, as for what made the grapes finally take off, we are not sure which has more benefit the removal of the leaves or the fertilizer but we plan to keep a good thing going. Hope this helps someone else having the same problems with their grapes.

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http://www.cottagecraftworks.com

From Our State Officials

2011-03-20T12:05:00.001-04:00

From Our State Officials
Posted by Detentus

After the usual run to get the Sunday paper, aka The Boston Globe, I stumbled across this headline in the Metro section(B) that was interesting. "State officials fear a run on iodide pills." It appears as if they are downplaying the role of these pills in disaster plans after receiving about 100 phone calls from residents who live near the Pilgrim plant requesting them. They claim that should a nuclear accident occur residents would be able to obtain them at nearby shelters and evacuation centers.

Local and state officials are discouraging people not to pick up these pills "because there is no need" according to Plymouth fire chief, G. Edward Bradley.

I suppose this makes sense to some degree because we know that potassium iodide is not the magic cure all or preventative measure given that there are different types of radioactive exposure.

However, this does not explain why the federal government supplied MA with 550,000, upon request, over concerns about terrorist attacks on Pilgrim. Conflicting reports do more to add to people's confusion and understandably so. The Surgeon General, Ms. Benjamin called it a "precaution." Later, the Dept. of Health and Human Services issued a statement that she was not suggesting people buy personal supplies."
With such spotty and bad information, or no information at all,is it any wonder why people are so concerned?

Also in the article was comments made by one Becky Chin, a Duxbury resident, cochairwoman of that town's nuclear advisory committee, "who has long pressed for better preparation for disasters and who said that residents should be encouraged to be self-sufficient." Given that Duxbury is about 10 miles south of Plymouth, she has led campaigns to buy protective masks for the town's 3,000 schoolchildren and stock schools with liquid KI.

She says "Most people don't want to think about it, and many think the government will help them out. The government will do the best it can, but you'd better be prepared to help yourself."

Well said, Becky Chin!

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Chemical Plant Explosion in Middleton, MA

2011-03-14T12:48:00.001-04:00

An explosion at the Bostik Chemical Plant, in Middleton damaged 2 buildings and injured 4. The plant manufactures adhesives. The cause of the explosion is still unknown.

Download free Chemical Emergency information here:

- Chemical Emergencies

- Emergency Response Guidebook
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Massachusetts Preppers Roll Call - All Preppers Please Check In

2011-03-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

The American Preppers Network is conducting a network-wide roll call. Whether you are a member or not please check in and let us know what you are doing to prepare.

This is a good opportunity to network with other preppers near you.

Massachusetts Preppers, to respond to the roll call please follow this link:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=370&t=9263

Reply to the Roll Call and let us know what you have been doing to prepare.

If you are not yet a member of the forum you can register here for free:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

New Meetup Group Central Massachusetts

2011-03-04T13:06:00.001-05:00

There is now a new meetup group for Central Massachusetts. Please join by following the link below

http://www.meetup.com/CentralMassachusettsPreppers

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Microstamping Bill Introduced In Massachusetts

2011-03-02T01:05:00.001-05:00

Cam Edwards talks to Jim Wallace, from the Gun Owners Action League (GOAL) in Massachusetts - NRA News - February 28, 2011 - http://www.NRANews.com

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Several states consider loosening raw milk restrictions as FDA tries to tighten them

2011-02-26T22:00:00.000-05:00

(NaturalNews) As the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluates ways to further restrict Americans' access to raw milk and raw milk products, several US states are considering legislation to loosen the regulatory noose that limits freedom of food choice. Texas, Oregon, Minnesota, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin all have pending legislation to legalize raw milk sales, relax sale restrictions that make buying the product difficult, or for the first time decriminalize raw milk sales with restrictions.

Recently, the FDA decided to target raw milk cheese, suggesting that it is more dangerous that pasteurized cheese and thus may require increased limitations. But the very data the FDA is using to make this claim clearly shows that contamination often happen after production, both in raw and pasteurized cheeses. In other words, both raw and pasteurized milk products can become contaminated after production (http://www.naturalnews.com/031471_r...).

Despite this and other propaganda efforts to falsely demonize raw milk, consumer demand for the unpasteurized, unhomogenized, farm-fresh food continues to rise. And the rhetoric coming from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA, and various state health agencies and officials hellbent on telling people what they can and cannot drink, is losing ground to the simple grassroots efforts pushing for more raw milk freedom.

In Texas, House Bill 75 and Senate Bill 237 would eliminate the restriction allowing raw milk sales only on the farm, and instead allow them to take place at "any other location where producers customarily sell their products directly to consumers including a farmers' market, farm stand, flea market, food cooperative or fair." The Minnesota legislature is set to have a similar bill presented before it.

Oregon's HB 2222, also known as the Family Farm Act, would expand the maximum herd limits for producers of raw milk in the state, and would offer some tax and other exemptions to local farmers.

New Jersey's bill A743, perhaps the most aggressive of all, would fully reverse the state's current ban on raw milk. Farmers who obtain a valid raw milk permit under a new state program and comply with testing requirements would be permitted to sell raw milk both directly to consumers and in retail stores.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/...

http://farmandranchfreedom.org/

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031501_raw_milk_restrictions.html#ixzz1F7mjvrba

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How to Use Freshwater Fish for Saltwater Bait

2011-02-06T16:57:00.000-05:00

by toma_riddles

If you live on the east coast anywhere from Massachusetts to Georgia, chances are you have a saltwater summer flounder season. There are your old stand-by baits like squid and spearing, but if you freshwater fish as well, you can switch up your saltwater fishing bait repertoire with some freshwater bait for some awesome results!

1)Catch some crappies or bluegills

2)Scale the fish using a scaler (see link for example below):

I prefer the type shown in the link, but have not found cheaper one yet. When I find a cheaper one, I will post it for you guys.

3)Once the skin of both sides of the fish is smooth and free of scales, fillet the fish with a 5 to 8 inch stainless steel knife. If you already know how to fillet a fish, fillet it as if you were preparing it for a two fillet meal. DO NOT SKIN THE FILLETS! A filleting example is posted below.

4) Take a fillet, meat part up, and situate it with the thick, upper part (stomach region) of the fillet furthest from you. The thin tail region should be closest towards you. Cut the fillet into long horizontal strips starting from the upper part of the fillet downwards. Do this with both fillets and you will end up with some beautiful looking strip baits as seen in the link below.

5) Hook a crappie or bluegill strip once through the top of the strip onto an English style hook fluke rig. You can add some squid strips and some spearing to make a bait sandwich a summer flounder won't be able to resist!

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More Bad Weather

2011-02-01T11:13:00.001-05:00

From: Detentus

How are you MA preppers doing? Have you dug yourself out from the last storm?
Looks like it's going to be a wintry mix with dangerous driving conditions. Stay safe out there if you do have to be on the road.
From NECN.

"Tuesday... Snow develops from west to east between 6 and 8 AM, respectively, with a heavy burst followed by moderate snow intensity, tapering between 6 and 8 PM. See video forecast for accumulation map - generally 4"-6" south (less at South Coast), 2"-4" North. Highs in the 30s South Coast, 20s for many, teens north. Northeast wind at 4-14 mph, except light and variable in Maine.

Overnight Tuesday Night... A lull in precipitation, with patchy light snow and freezing drizzle, then snow redevelops predawn. Lows in the 20s for many, teens north, 30s South Coast. Northeast wind at 8-18 mph.

Wednesday... Snow for many- blizzard conditions possible in NH and ME - mixing with sleet and freezing rain south of Route 2 in Northern MA, and changing to rain at the South Coast. Accumulations of 1-3 feet for many, dependent upon location, less south of the Massachusetts Turnpike - see video forecast for accumulation map.

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Is it Really "Fair Play" Between Us and the Elite?

2011-01-16T09:32:00.000-05:00

Human World Order
Activist Post

Recently a "fixer" for the elite appeared anonymously as "Charles" in a compelling interview by Bill Ryan of Project Avalon. First, for those who study the real power structure on planet Earth, there's not much in the way of ground-breaking details. However, Charles' stern matter-of-fact answers add confirmation to many suspicions.

Charles confirms the elite's plans and motive for culling the population; a move to global currency with removal of financial borders; the very serious manner by which mega-food companies control all food; the incredible technology possessed by the ruling elite (including modular triangular UFOs); the fact that we should regard space more as an ocean with living creatures; and the idea of money and time as illusions.

He claims the reason he came forward was to give the public "fair" warning of things to come and let things play out as they may. According to Charles, the elite believe they are the responsible protectors of Corporation Earth and the human genome, which has become so bloated and broken that they need to "trim the fat off the surplus." The surplus of humans was created by the "machine itself," he says, and now they need to bring in a "liquidator" of sorts to downsize.

In the interview, he reveals that he believes, as his elite bosses believe, that the planet is broken and needs to be fixed. He likened it to being a father in a rushing river with his two sons, but he can save only one of them from drowning -- the stronger swimmer who can meet him halfway. This is also a metaphor for the elite's Darwinian approach to strengthening the human species.

He said that three plans are definitely on the table and already underway: 1) discredit and destroy the alternative media; 2) create massive famine by pulling the plug on food production and distribution; 3) execute a false flag UFO event to frighten the public into submitting to their leadership. In turn, he firmly stated that nuclear war is off the table, because it is not selective, ruins the environment, and is costly to rebuild afterward.

As evil as their methods appear to be, according to Charles there is a code of practice among the elite controllers to put the agenda out in the open -- however cryptic and hidden it may be. Their thinking is that this is a "fair" way to inform the earthlings who are smart enough to filter through the noise and find the truth. He claims that the average human simply "can't handle the truth."

Perhaps he's right that the masses can't yet handle the truth. Clearly, their plans and tactics for "culling the herd" can only be viewed as "evil" by the compassionate commoners who are just awakening. It is this anger, -- first about being lied to; and secondly by not having enough knowledge to remotely justify such drastic actions on the population -- which causes the newly awakened to instinctively want to fight the controllers.

However, it seems this venom and hatred toward the controllers is actually desired by them to feed the negativity and divisiveness. In other words, problems can't be solved by fighting them because it makes it easier for them to divide and conquer. Charles said the elite laugh at the alternative media infighting and misdirection, but when they get things right they will be targeted.

If it is true that the elite must engage in "fair play," it seems disingenuous to claim that fair warning is the same as fair play, especially when all hidden knowledge is buried by their controlled distractions and disinformation campaigns. Furthermore, hoarding all of the resources and technology, eons more advanced from the matrix of current civilization, is hardly allowing for the natural progression of humanity to exist in balance with the planet.

Given their absolute control of all the hidden knowledge, the material wealth, the war machine, the media, and super advanced technologies, it would appear that they are indestructible, or at least have an incredibly unfair advantage. However, Charles admits that humanity's resistance to mandatory vaccines during the engineered swine flu scare surprised them and forced them to retreat, displaying that overwhelming numbers still matter.

Incidentally, their rabid lust for power and control seems driven, at least in part, by fear and paranoia of losing everything. Surely they're aware that all it would take is a rapid shift in consciousness by the rabble to end their reign. It is unlikely the masses will be very forgiving given the scale of the lies. This, fellow humans, may be our biggest bargaining chip with the elite.

It is understandable that there are those who say we must destroy the evil elite to regain liberty. Yet, if we're being intellectually honest with ourselves, civilization has become delicately dependent on the elite's consolidated systems for food, energy, and water within the current matrix. Therefore, if the Human World Order topples the system in dramatic fashion, the human suffering will likely be far more severe and rapid than the elite's controlled implosion. This, by no means condones their deceptive and cruel tactics, just points out the obvious dilemma.

If the elite believe they have clear indications and statistics that planet earth and humanity as a whole is in crisis and needs adaptation, then the people should be entitled to the same wealth of information as the elite possess, so that such a profound decision can be made both by pragmatists, as well as idealists. After all, it is the unique ability of the human race to solve problems using both sides of our brain, which encompasses the entire spectrum from cold-hearted calculation to the soaring idealism of pure liberty and human compassion. Any decisions that are to be made about the future of our species may be best served through inclusion and cooperation, not solely by the elite.

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New Rules for Massachusetts

2011-01-01T06:32:00.003-05:00

Post by Detentus

Just a heads up for MA residents as to what's coming down the pike(not the MA Pike) for changes in health insurance and prescription drugs, effective Janurary, 2011.

From the Worcester Telegram and Gazette:

"Patients will have to start showing identification before picking up a wider range of prescription drugs in Massachusetts in 2011.

Under new regulations that take effect Jan. 1, patients will have to show pharmacists their IDs to obtain so-called "Schedule 3, 4, and 5" drugs, including Valium, Vicodin and Ativan.

Health officials say the drugs are serious medication which continue to be implicated in prescription drug abuse, overdoses and overdose deaths.

Patients already have to show their IDs for drugs like OxyContin.

The new information will be entered into the state's Prescription Drug Monitoring database to ensure the prescriptions are being used appropriately.

Officials say the new regulations were crafted to ensure patient privacy"

What privacy? This information will be entered into a database and there are already strict laws on the books(always have been) to ensure that pharmacies abide by proper dispensing of narcotics and other controlled substances.
What's next? Even more ID shown? In addition to that prescription from your physician: a passport, birth certificate or maybe a note from Mommy.

There's more for MA residents. The fine for not having health insurance is about to go up. Currently the monthly fine is $93.00 monthly. The increase will be $101.00 a month or roughly $1,200.00 per year. These figures are based upon age and income.

Finally, under the new federal health care reform bill, medical savings accounts will be severely restricted and those who use them will be barred from putting away a portion of their income(tax free) to cover their own medical needs. In other words, those OTC(over the counter) medications cannot be purchased without a doctor's prescription if you want this to be included in this program. So, you now will have to pay for a doctor's visit and obtain a prescription. Some savings considering that co-payments have increased dramatically.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this but I just got a visual. Got heartburn? Get that prescription for Tums, Rolaids and Maalox. Stuffy nose? No anti-histamine for you unless you call the doctor first. Aspirin, ibuprophen, Tylenol, baby aspirin, vitamins, herbal supplements, first aid kits, bandaids, calamine lotion, Witch Hazel.....will we need a prescription for these, too? Laxatives and anti-diarrheal products like Immodium.

I don't like what I see.

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Feds target airline pilot for exposing TSA security sham on YouTube

2010-12-27T08:21:00.000-05:00

A Sacramento-based airline pilot is the subject of a federal investigation for exposing what he says are serious flaws in the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) airport security protocols. According to ABC News10 in Sacramento, the 50-year-old pilot who requested to remain anonymous says that TSA applies its strict screening protocols to passengers and even flight crews, but ground crews are freely able to access secure areas with a simple card swipe.

"As you can see, airport security is kind of a farce," the pilot explains in his video, as he shows an entrance to a secure area. "It's only smoke and mirrors so you people believe there is actually something going on here."

The pilot has worked for his airline for more than ten years and had been issued a federal handgun to carry with him in the cockpit. But after blowing the whistle on the serious security breaches taking place at the airport, four federal air marshals and two sheriff's deputies shows up at his house to confiscate the weapon, and they also asked him to give up his state-issued concealed weapon carry permit.

On December 6, the pilot also received a letter from the TSA explaining that "an administrative review into your deputation status as a Federal Flight Deck Officer has been initiated," a move that he believes is a warning from the Feds saying not to mess with the system, unless you want to face the consequences.

According to the same ABC News10 report, the pilot's airline asked him to remove the videos from YouTube shortly after he posted them, but portions of the videos captured as part of the ABC News10 report can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwLG...

Monday, December 27, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030844_airline_pilot_TSA.html#ixzz19JiD3qDl

Sources for this story include:

http://www.news10.net/news/article....

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Swine flu pandemic outbreak sweeping through Britain even though 70 percent were vaccinated last year

2010-12-27T08:19:00.000-05:00

(NaturalNews) A swine flu pandemic is sweeping through Britain despite the fact that 70 percent of Britain's over-65 population was vaccinated against swine flu last year. This year, that number is nearly the same -- 68.5% -- but flu vaccine proponents insist that until everyone is vaccinated, the flu will continue to infect people.

What these vaccine advocates absolutely will not admit, however, is how many of those who are sick with the flu this year also got vaccinated last year. This little detail is left out of every mainstream media report on vaccines and the flu. They simply refuse to mention this all-important number, leaving readers to leap to the incorrect conclusion that only those who were not vaccinated get sick with the flu.

Most infected patients were previously vaccinated

That assumption is false. In fact, of the 450 critical care beds in England that are now occupied by flu patients, I have no doubt that most of those infected patients are people who received flu vaccines in the past.

Such statistics are never made available to the public or the press, of course. To release such statistics would expose the Great Lie of the vaccine industry: That flu vaccines simply don't work on 99 percent of people!

In fact, the people who are most susceptible to catching the flu are precisely the very same people who get vaccinated. Why is that? Because vaccines weaken the immune system in the long run, leaving you more vulnerable to future infections. They deny your immune system the opportunity to practice its own adaptive response to invading microorganisms or viruses, thereby causing your immune system to atrophy in the same way that a wheelchair-bound person will experience leg muscle atrophy.

The immune system is a lot like a muscle: Use it or lose it!

But flu vaccines provide weakened viruses to the immune system (along with other preservative chemicals that can be extremely dangerous to neurological health). It's sort of like working out your muscles at the gym but having your trainer do all the heavy lifting for you. Obviously you're not going to have very strong muscles in the end because your body won't need to invoke a very strong adaptive response.

The same is true with vaccines and the flu: If your body is exposed to weakened flu viruses year after year, it gets lazy and weak, and when it one day comes into contact with a full-strength virus circulating in the wild, it's not in good enough shape to handle the challenge.

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread in Britain

At the same time this is going on, a person who is vitamin D deficient will also have an alarmingly weak immune system response because vitamin D activates the immune system to do its job. In people with extremely low vitamin D levels, even vaccines containing weakened viruses won't solicit an antibody response. But instead of testing patients for vitamin D deficiency and prescribing that with the vaccine, conventional medical doctors and contagious disease authorities robotically urge everyone to just "get multiple vaccine shots" as if following one failed vaccine with yet another failed vaccine will somehow make them both work.

That's idiotic, of course. And the other idiotic thing about all this is that if people had sufficient levels of vitamin D circulating in their blood, they wouldn't need seasonal flu vaccines in the first place! That's because a strong, healthy immune system with lots of circulating vitamin D is universally effective at halting ALL seasonal flu strains, with near 100% success in those with vitamin D levels between 50 - 70 (ng/dL).

The three main reasons behind Britain's flu pandemic

So the real reason Britain is suffering a swine flu pandemic right now is actually three-fold:

#1) It's winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and Britain is so far north (of the equator) that the people living there aren't currently generating any vitamin D whatsoever. This makes virtually the entire British population ridiculously vitamin D deficient throughout the winter.

#2) The majority of the British population has been subjected to flu vaccines in previous years, weakening their immune systems and making them more vulnerable to this year's flu strains.

#3) The flu strain itself is so successful in the wild precisely because so many Britons walk around in chronic states of immune suppression (from vitamin D deficiency, chronic stress, poor dietary habits and so on). This creates a "viral breeding ground" which encourages more rapid virus mutations that make vaccines obsolete anyway.

The question you are not allowed to ask vaccine quacks

The vaccine-pushing quack medical community believes that if they could magically convince 100 percent of the people to get vaccinated, they would have this problem licked. In their own minds, they have unscientifically convinced themselves that a vaccine equals automatic and full protection against a flu virus.

And yet even they won't dare ask this simple question: Of all the people sick from the flu who are right now lying in Britain's hospital beds, what percentage were vaccinated against the flu last year or this year?

The answer to that question will expose the outright fraud of the vaccine industry because the answer is a very large number. No one in the medical industry dares ask that question, of course, because they realize that delving into the actual re-infection rate of flu vaccine recipients would expose their quackery and fraud, causing yet more people to lose faith in vaccines which are, after all, sold based entirely on misplaced faith and clever propaganda.

The flu vaccine propaganda, of course, demands that people never be allowed to collide with the scientific facts about how many people who are vaccinated against the flu still catch the flu anyway. (The flu re-infection rate.) That's why you will NEVER see an honest answer to this question released by hospitals, vaccine companies or vaccine-pushing doctors.

Keep taking your flu jabs, everybody. But don't ask whether they actually work, because that question isn't allowed to be asked in the cult of medicine that dominates the sick-care landscape around the world today.

We wouldn't want actual science to interfere with a really profitable con job now, would we?

Monday, December 27, 2010
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030845_Britain_swine_flu.html#ixzz19JfOYEgc

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Massachusetts Preppers Roll Call

2010-11-27T13:09:00.002-05:00

The Massachusetts 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=370&t=6202

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

Welcome New Members

2010-11-10T19:16:00.005-05:00

Welcome our new members:

Ironfire182

Ive been lurking around here for awhile. Figured it was about time that I introduced myself.....
Relatively new to prepping. Only 21, so I have time to learn.
Not entirely sure what I should be typing here... So yea... Hello.

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=6083&sid=d3a4

helwen

Hi all,

Apparently I was only sort of a member, so today I fixed that. *waves*

I live on my MIL's farm with my husband and we help out here. Life has been way too hectic the past few years, dealing with health issues and death in the family, but we're still trying. Don't expect to hear much from me, as a result....

Gardener, spinner, weaver, artist. Extremely indifferent canner. Getting into hiking.

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5933&p=56138

owl

hi all,

just learned about this forum through the Waterman files.
was listening to the tipping point presentation and found my way here.
have been looking for an organization like this for a while now. we all know that everything is going to hell and i figure that in numbers and by networking, all of us stand a much better chance of surviving and probably thriving in the long run.

i am new to prepping also but have got a good stash of food, got a good shortwave radio today. my first ever. sure beats listening to that ad infested, corporate owned, wbz news.

some very scary things going down and i anticipate another 9/11 like event coming very soon. in which case they're gonna lock this country down so tight they'll be breathing down our necks. (like they're not already...)

anyway, hello from owl

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5854

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A Site To Behold

2010-09-29T13:50:00.008-04:00

by: gman

Could you be fed up with the rhetoric you find on the daily news?

How do you feel about "We the People" and what little this seems to mean to most of our elected officials these days?

Do you ever wonder how you can get your point across?

Are you trying to be as self reliant as possible but sometimes could use a little advice?

Have you ever wondered what you would do if a natural or man made disaster hit your area?

Wouldn't you like to have the combined knowledge of thousands of true patriotic Americans to draw from, from all aspects of life, patriots just like you?

Hang on to something and click that link below. You are about to enter a very awesome world of like minded people, people just like you.

Welcome to the forum:
www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net

How To Join The Massachusetts Preppers Network

2010-09-14T17:15:00.001-04:00

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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts forum and introduce yourself. The Massachusetts 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.MassachusettsPreppersNetwork.net

4) After you've visited the Massachusetts forum, follow this link to learn how to join the Massachusetts Preppers 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!

Another Water Main About to Rupture

2010-08-30T13:43:00.003-04:00

Expect another water outage. Rumor is that a 14' diameter water pipe like the one that burst earlier this year is due to rupture. Parts have been ordered and the administration is keeping its fingers crossed that it holds until all the parts have arrived. If your community gets water from the Quabbin, then I would bottle up some extra water to flush toilets and stuff until it's fixed.

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Excellent links

2010-06-06T09:43:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything, so I found a few good links this morning over at JWR's site. Thanks JWR.
Really good info.

http://www.grandpappy.info/hpreserve.htm

And this site for pedal power, also including downloadable models.

http://www.mayapedal.org/machines.html

These are .SKP files, so you will need to go here and download the file opener tool.

http://www.filetypeshelp.com/types/SKP.html?keyword=Skp%20file&gclid=CJTXpv7Mi6ICFQWI5godJUL-Ug

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The Federal Food Police

2010-05-13T21:00:00.001-04:00

Killing the Family Garden

I recently read an article about a bill currently at the House, that can potentially kill the family garden.
When questioned about the wording of the bill, politicians appeared less than forthcoming. The wording is so ambiguous, that it could include not only the named, "small farms" but family gardens as well. It appears that if you have a garden and give so much as a grape to a neighbor or family member, you would be considered a "food distribution point". This being the case, you would fall under federal regulation which would include the exclusion of heirloom seeds. Now what does that leave, you ask? Well, have you ever heard of Monsanto? Monsanto seed products are Genetically Manipulated. Now, have you ever heard of a suicide gene? This is something that Monsanto is reportedly including, or will include, in their genetically manipulated seeds that will terminate upon germination. In other words, they will not produce viable seeds. Now, having said that, this means that you will NOT be able to produce seeds from their fruit, that will recreate the plant from which they sprang.
If we have to buy Genetically engineered seeds for our family garden, we will have to buy seeds year after year after year, instead of being able to produce our own. Consider a field of corn producing seed corn that will NOT grow corn. If this gene spreads throughout the food chain, what will this mean 20 or 50 years from now. How far will this gene spread throughout the world. I believe this means that 20 years from now, if we want to grow ANYTHING, we will have to go to the corporate giants to buy the seed that will produce one and only one plant. For every plant you grow, it will have to be purchased through the corporate giant Monsanto.
I also read recently that the Bush family are and have been, in bed (so to speak) with this same company. It really makes you wonder when and where this all started.
Are we going to stand by and just wait for this to happen, or are we going to use the voice that our forefathers gave us in the original document that established this country in the first place? In case you've forgotten, it's called the Constitution of the United States. To further remind you, the government is supposed to be afraid of it's people, not the other way around. Did you know that in the beginning, political officers were volunteers and they did NOT get paid. That's why they had jobs outside of their office. It seems now, that they don't need other jobs, because they line their pockets with back alley deals they make with corporations. These deals are taking away our weapons, our rights and now, it seems, our gardens, our ability to provide for ourselves. This new bill is going to go hand in hand with an existing law concerning "food hording". This particular law, disallows us from stockpiling food in our own homes. I'm not talking about buying out a store's entire supply of beef, or tomatoes. I'm referring to a slow build up of your own personal stores, over a long period of time. Again, it's all in the wording. Whether you take 12 days or 12 months to gather those stores, it is still considered "hording".

So, decide, will we just continue to "Prep" quietly, or will we do something about the laws that are being quietly written and quietly passed?
Here's a link to the article that I've referenced: Federal Food Police Coming Soon to a Farm Near You.
http://readynutrition.com/resources/federal-food-police-coming-soon-to-a-farm-near-you_22102009/

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A good site revisited

2009-06-21T19:42:00.005-04:00

Here is the site that start it out for me in the prepping area.
I consider his site one of the best that I don't usually hear anyone talk or refer to.
Miles Stair has put a ton of info for everyone to read and archive.
His site is loaded with info. From gardening to kerosene stoves and lamps to fire wood.
He also gets into bee keeping, sanitation, communications and medical info.
I see he has updated his site recently. Alot more info since I was last there.
Its all on one site and you don't have to look through archives.
You can also order his web site in CD format as a PDF file.
Have a look see....

http://www.endtimesreport.com/

Fish or Famine?

2009-05-10T11:05:00.002-04:00

Here is a news story from Hannity on Fox from Friday.
I hope everyone will be going full speed with their gardens.
Looks as though we will need it.

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=4913159&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519631,00.html

ginseng

2009-03-30T05:16:00.003-04:00

i have several online friends here and there,,,last fall, one sent me approximately 60 ginseng berries,,,,as i write,,they have shown to be 60%-70% germinated with 9-10 already near 1/2' in height,,,,ginseng i think will be a good addition to my wild gardening plantings...people don't really seek it here,,,been picked clean centuries ago in this area,,,,organic parsnip from grocers has rooted, and should provide plenty of seed this year, as opposed to waiting til next,,,,i love gardening,,without it i'd probably be mad as a hatter.....have a good'un,,,keep preppin,,

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
Marcus Tullius Cicero

Sign of the times

2009-03-23T11:26:00.002-04:00

Ok, after I got my load of wood, me being the talker I am, was talking with the guy who dropped off my wood. He informed me, that I was lucky to get this load as it was one of the last he had access to. He told me that the wood market has mostly come to a halt. There were 5 sawmills in the area that had folded because of the housing market. No new houses being built so no demand for cherry, maple or oak. This is the reason loggers log certain areas. Firewood is a by-product so to speak. Normally someone would call to have a lot cleared. Someone goes in and marks the good trees and anything around it is considered firewood. Most of them are around 6 - 10 inches in diameter, or twisted logs, or starting to rot.
So, if you burn wood, you may want to start to look for it now instead of the fall and expect the price to go up also. Around here, cut, split, and delivered was going for roughly 200.00 a cord, or 128 cu feet. A cord is roughly 4ft wide x 4ft tall x 8ft long and stacked. Most don't stack it anymore, just trown in the back of a truck.
Good luck and keep preppin.

Got wood?

2009-03-23T10:15:00.003-04:00

Got an unexpected call last night from a co-worker who does firewood on the side.
"Just got a call from Mike and said he lost your address and phone number to deliver your load of logs. He wants to drop it off at around 8:00am."
"OK Cool!"
Needless to say, I wasn't quite ready for it, but such is life. Yesterday was supposed to be yard clean-up day, but mother nature wasn't cooperating. Cold, windy, and a stray snow shower. Not good for burning brush and such. I still have some unsplit wood left from last years load.
I'm a bit lazy at times, as the wife will let me know more often than I care to hear. LOL
Anyway, there is approximately between 6-8 cords there. I paid $650.00 for this load. I like to think and say it costs me that much to heat my home every year. Heating with wood is awesome. Nothing better than throwing a couple pieces in the stove and not having to feel the cringe of turning up the thermostat. Depending on the temp outside, it is usually around 70 -75 degrees inside. My furnace is oil fired as is my hot water. I filled up the tank in Nov. and I just ran out last night. I knew the tank was near empty, but the "I'll order it next week" phrase kept getting moved up. LOL Worse thing was, was my son was in the shower when it ran out. "DAD! The water is cold!" Ahhhhhh Crap. Down to the gas station with my 5 gallon fuel cans and got 40.00 with of diesel fuel. 15 gallons should last me till Wednesday. Fingers crossed.

Oh BTW, you can use diesel fuel for heating oil. It is pretty much the same thing. Same thing in reverse. Just don't get caught by the DOT. Heating oil is normally dyed as it is a Non-taxable fuel. Diesel fuel is taxed. They put the dye in heating oil so that truckers can't get around not paying the tax. The DOT has a test kit for testing for the dye.
Back to the wood. We had a relatively normal winter with only a few days of sub-zero nights and almost no zero degree days so I didn't burn much wood. If it does get that cold the furnace might kick on overnight. I have it set for 65 so it won't get too cool. Hopefully with the wood left over from last year, and this load, I won't have to buy any next year.

There is one bad point of get wood this time of year. It's the sap. Spring and fall are the worst times to get firewood. Here in the Northeast we have an abundance of maple trees. The reason New Yorkers come up here in the fall for leaf-peepin. Cold nights and warm days makes the sap flow for the maple syrup fans. Some of the logs are sapping as we speak as the sun is shining on them.

This just makes for a little longer drying time. No biggie. If I have it all cut up and split and stacked by May, it will sit till October when I start to burn. Actually I'll use up last years wood first and won't use the new wood till Jan. or Feb.
Wish me luck.

early mornin jitters

2009-03-18T06:20:00.001-04:00

i've spent entirely too much energy in attempting to keep my kids at least aware that their biggest domestic enemy is government,,i have no intention of abiding by some NWO ass' agenda that would deliver their minds into an atmosphere which would no doubt prove to be anti-American,,,this could be my tipping point,,,sure, there are a lot of other reasons to resist strenuously,,but i,like many others that i am aware of,,still find it necessary to engage in the day to day drudgery of "life",,,,this,,,this will force me to action ,,we've all heard of it... HR1388 and now, with the navy "laying off" sailors,,perhaps the soon to come increases in military commitments will be justification to re-institute the draft,,,and this one is NOT your fathers draft either,,,,maybe have to carry private health insurance???,,,hehe,,,History of the Draft,,,from what i have gathered, the age cutoff has been advanced significantly,,and some are pushing to include females as well...maybe a little over reaching here on my end,,but i shall be paying close attention....i raised my kids with a love of Nation,,and the idea that service(voluntary) to that ideal was a noble undertaking......but to kill or be killed to fill some &^@*$ pigs bank accounts,,,and destroy, completely, innocent lives and cultures...that IS NOT what this Country is about,,,,,i think the time is closer than ever,,the burning question i, and others face, is how much are we willing to sacrifice??can i do as was done in the past,,live(or die),in opposition to tyranny?here, in my own back yard?,,,,druther not find out,,but, seems there may be no choice real soon,,,have a good'un,,keep preppin..peace

By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes is his duty against the influence of authority and majorities, custom and opinion. John Acton

some of what's out there

2009-03-14T08:39:00.002-04:00

fairly recent improvement on an old classic,,,,YouTube - AA-12. World's deadliest shotgun!
a lot of people don't keep up on these things,,but they're worthy of consideration in a climate of
uncertainty.....i think anyway

Survive The Worst: The Dangers of Gangs in Your Community

2009-03-08T18:27:00.000-04:00

Survive The Worst: The Dangers of Gangs in Your Community

tea party

2009-03-07T08:18:00.000-05:00

Fresh Tea Daily » Massachusetts

maybe worthy of consideration

work

2009-03-07T07:47:00.004-05:00

personally, with each passing day, i get more nervous as to how long this can all go on....if we're looking at bank holidays soon, all kinds of scenarios will present,,,few of them of the good type,,,my attitude for acquiring preps for the last several years has been to NEVER leave a store without adding in some way to my preps,,be it a hardware store, grocers,book, or whatever,,,often, my original intended purchase is ignored for lack of sufficient money for a prep or two....recently, this has been put under strain,,my store has removed full timers from sunday work,,which at time and a half, allowed me extra monies each week for decent prep items,,,i have to say i'm glad to still be slaving away, for the present state of our affairs precludes my dream of squatting up the street...times aren't bad enough for that to work(yet)...believe i have gotten access to 1500sf,,possibly 3000sf,,to garden this summer,,,,my goal, above food supplementation, is to increase my heirloom seed stock,,,,seems to me that seeds should out weigh gold in value for a time,,,,keep preppin, have a good'un...search your souls...peace
Posted by erik at 12:32 PM

we ARE slaves

2009-03-07T05:48:00.002-05:00

YouTube - you are a slave to the Government

what do you think of that?,,free?,,,no longer, and not for a long time
Spartacus, where are ya?

are bloggers in danger?

2009-03-05T07:52:00.002-05:00

i spend time surfing through all the "conspiracy" sites and have several times run across the opinion that should martial law be commenced, those who blog about patriotism and survivalism could be high on the "detention" listings,,,,any thoughts that way?....interesting idea, regardless
have a good'un,,keep preppin..see ya in the bread line

a refresher

2009-03-05T07:26:00.003-05:00

just a quick refresher on why prepping is essential....and why we need to continue/begin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afZc1K6VMRk

in defense of sheep

2009-03-03T11:39:00.001-05:00

with the billions upon billions of dollars continually being pumped into advertising with the intention of creating and keeping consumers fully aware of the necessity to purchase all the goods available in order to become happy individuals,healthy consumers, and just generally all around Great Americans, is it really any wonder so many are labelled "sheep"?
having been, for the most part, indoctrinated from birth, and maybe before birth thru womb invasion of sound, the astonishing thing to me is the fact anyone has ever broken free from the insidious grasp of Madison Avenue....
so, we say we're "awake"...are we sure?...how far has Mad Ave plugged into our minds?....it is not negligible, the amount of outside influence that assaults us every minute we are within sight of even basic packaged goods....the psychology of advertising becomes an almost invisible ray beaming straight to our subconscious,,stimulating responses from previously recorded data.....
personally, i have for years berated those who chose not to see as "sheep"//..but, consider,,,not just our contemporaries, our parents, their parents, yes back thru time, we as a people have been subjected to differing belief systems, dependant, of course, on the source, so that from the earliest stages we have in our minds the concept of right and wrong already given to us...
so too, it seems to me, our modern era,,teevee, radio, magazines..all these left to our minds with guidance from the previously mind-manipulated generation, compound to create more or less a "groupthink" mentality, from which to detour would mark one as an "outsider", duly deserving of scorn and/or derision....
i doubt we, any of us, can claim with honesty that we were always awake or aware,,,and that at sometime, somewhere, somehow, that first germ of a thought that maybe all was not as it seemed, grew into a quest for truth,above and beyond our teachings...the stockholm syndrome, first accepted back during a particularly nasty event of kidnapping, may present a good example of what is going on...people, so comfortable now, being cared for by the very system that means them ill, look to that selfsame system for security and guidance,,terrified of entering a new state of consciousness which by it's nature would mean the loss of easy times....
i guess the point here, though poorly made, is to remember, we were all of us part of that flock at one time, for better or worse,,and if we want to make what is coming less of a burden to ourselves and our families,,we should never stop trying to make the others see,,,the wolf is NOT in sheeps clothing,,,he wears the shepherds robes.....peace

more funnies(stolen forward, author unk)

2009-03-03T09:54:00.003-05:00

Hold on to Your Wallet ...
In the midst of this economic meltdown, federal, state and local governments are all scrambling to find ways to generate more revenue and close their budget shortfalls -- and fast. Unfortunately, one way they tend to do this is by raising taxes and fees.
Personal finance experts Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com tell you to get ready for an onslaught of new taxes coming your way soon. Click through our gallery to see what you may expect, if these pass.
"Sin" TaxesSo-called "sin" taxes are on the hit list for many state and local governments, raising taxes on everything from cigarettes to alcohol. New York is even toying with an 18% tax on non-diet soda, dubbed an "obesity tax," capable of raising $400 million a year. If the governor of Wisconsin has his way, cigarette taxes will go up 75 cents a pack! The increase will generate $300 million for the state over two years. In Massachusetts, the governor is considering a new 5 percent sales tax on beer. This and other "wellness" taxes could cost taxpayers as much as $150 million each year!
AutomobileAmericans have long had a love affair with their cars, but the cost of that romance is about to go up.
Although California scrapped plans to increase its fuel tax by 12 cents, Massachusetts is moving ahead with a 19-cent increase. If you fill up a 16-gallon tank three times a month, you’ll pay an additional $110 per year. Other states are also considering an increase.
Entertainment Taxes
Even though some are calling it the "iPod tax," the new "digital download tax" actually covers all downloaded entertainment (music, movies, and games).
More than a dozen states have already embraced the tax, which generally uses the same rate as a state’s sales tax. The cost to Wisconsin residents alone? Over $11 million during the next two years. New York is also looking at a new 8 percent tax that would apply to ALL forms of entertainment--including ski lift tickets and lessons.
Mobile Phones and
Cable/Satellite TV
Your cell phone and cable (or satellite) bills have probably already been going up without fail, but they’re about to go up even more. States find it very easy to extract more money from these services for three simple reasons: First, people are addicted. It’s very hard for people to give up their cell phone or favorite cable shows. Second, someone other than the government handles the billing and collects the money. Third, most people don’t pay much attention to the tax line item on your bill.
Personal Care & Services
The cost of "looking good" is about to go up, too... with some state governments thinking about making a number of services subject to their state's sales tax. Examples include beauty salon services, haircuts, and gym memberships. In some states, certain types of clothing are currently free of sales tax. As governments try to raise more money, though, look for these exemptions to disappear, too.
Car Rental Taxes
If you thought the taxes on rental cars were already outrageous, you ain't seen nothin' yet. In Colorado, they're looking at implementing a $2-a-day tax on car rentals. And, in Wisconsin, there was talk of bumping up the tax from its current $2 level to--hold on to your hat--$15 per day!
Car rental taxes are an easy target for increased taxes because many cars are rented by business travelers or consumers being reimbursed by an insurance company. Needless to say, the car rental companies are opposed.
License and User Fees
All of these new taxes are, unfortunately, just the tip of the iceberg. The real fun begins when you look at all of the other smaller license and user fees that many towns, cities, counties and states charge. Take, for example, Connecticut, which has considered doubling the cost of a fishing license — from $20 to $40. Or the state’s proposed $30 charge to fish in Long Island Sound (for which there is currently no charge whatsoever)! Or consider Huntingon, West Virginia, which is thinking about increasing its city user fee from $2 a week to $3, which would add up to an extra $1.6
Property Tax Increases
Thanks to revenue shortfalls, local governments across the U.S. are raising property-tax rates. And unfortunately, we’re probably going to see more and more of this. A typical case in point: In the Northampton area of Pennsylvania, property taxes are proposed to go up 4%, adding over $80 million in revenue for salaries, textbooks and other fixed items. This will also be the 10th year in a row that residents will have their property taxes increased. Read any and all notices from your tax assessor’s office closely!
New "Punitive" Penalties
Though it's not a "tax," here’s another example of higher fees coming your way. Part of California's budget "solution" is a 20 percent penalty for under-estimating your state income taxes. We're not talking about tax evasion here, just about a simple tax error--and the penalty has a no-excuse policy to boot! But cha-CHING! That's an automatic $1.6 billion in new revenues for the state. Good for government, bad for businesses and hard-working taxpayers like us. How Much Will It All Cost?
If all of New York's new taxes and fees are approved, one group of Republican Senators calculates that the averagecost to a New York household would be over $3,000 per year. That's certainly a lot of cash out of your pocket and into the government's. Thankfully, not all of these taxes will pass, but there is little doubt that you can expect more federal, state, and local taxes and fees that will separate you from your money, one dollar at a time.

gun permit,,,,thanks Bullseye

2009-03-03T05:27:00.000-05:00

Code Name "Bullseye": Here's my gun permit !!

our elected selected government

2009-03-01T16:40:00.002-05:00

these are the people who handle(allegedly) the will of their constituencies...find your representatives, etc,,research them,,then, let them know, civilly, what exactly you feel about our situation,,refrain from bashing or cussing, be respectful, understanding of the pressures of their official duties,,but let them know there are more of us who ARE going to be heard while we still have a semblance of legitimate governance,,,
http://www.mass.gov/legis/memmenuh.htm link in list also

uniquely Massachusetts

2009-02-28T09:16:00.003-05:00

several times recently a comment has been run across that state specific groups dealing in these our subjects should contain information specifically pertaining to said state,,,,this has me stumped...my geographic/demographic differs as dramatically from the left side as it does to the cape,,,we cover the spectrum, as do most other states, from metropolis to podunk....our laws and lawmakers(many of them) do tend to be on top side of kennedys yacht, and are as tuned into our life as we are to theirs,,being minimal to nonexistent ..lots of people throw out the word revolution, resistance,,,good words in and of themselves,but i'm thinking not along the revolution scenario,,,reclamation, or, restoration, to me, is far more appropriate with what needs doing,,,a revolution can only be waged against a duly authorised governmental system(i think),,,and given that through the years our PTB have quite effectively removed our input in establishing the present ruling class...it is painfully evident that we no longer have a government that is "of the People", here in this State,hence not to be considered legitimate,,doubt we would be heard..whereas a "restoration" might could be an answer to regaining what has been stripped from us while we were sleeping and drinking and spending ourselves stupid...maybe there is merit in attempting to use the system to change the system,,i tend to doubt that this would be very effective,,,flashback to Walden Pond tho,,and ideas emanating from one Mass. citizen, while making small, and, at the time, seemingly radical and revolutionary precepts come to light,,,,ones that went on to inspire great men to perform great deeds,,ie Gandhi,King,,,,,as i recall, and i could be in error,,Civil Disobedience,while non-violent, is, if acted out with sufficient numbers, a very powerful force,,,organising and trusting enough people would be a task gargantuan,,but think if it could be coalesced into a movement,,(bigger even than alices restaurant massacree,;),which could NOT be ignored,,,even failing in obtaining change, it would certainly shake the old status quo of we the peoples sleeping brethren,,mayhaps enough to begin anew, or carry on in the spirit of our Constitution(the terrorist papers)...all this being conditional, naturally, as to plans made by said PTB,perhaps anticipating such actions.NWO coming? pandemic?invasion?,,,we don't know for a fact,empirically, that those scenarios will ever present themselves,,,we do know, as we stand,,things are deteriorating too rapidly to do nothing...personally, these days, i would not enjoy armed conflict on a scale that would involve people that aren't ready,,the innocent ones, kids,who surely have the great misfortune of potentially being collateral damage,,,,consider, too, the ramifications of economic collapse,,and being isolated from others with the wherewithal to regroup and form free areas....how much repression,,militarily,,could or would be brought to bear,,i have reason to doubt American troops would be complicit in repressive actions,,and if foreign troops were used...you'd have a LOT more fence sitters ready and willing(hopefully able),,to engage any OPFOR,for that is what they would be,,on OUR soil
and as always, my disclaimer,,,i could be wrong about this,but,,,
always open to critique,,thats how i learn,,,have a good'un,,and have your own thoughts,,,whaddaya think?

Foraging for WIld Foods in Massachusetts

2009-02-27T21:49:00.004-05:00

Here is an interesting link to a series of lectures, slide-shows, and foraging walks for edilble wild foods and mushrooms in Massachusetts in 2009:

http://users.rcn.com/eatwild/sched.htm

More links to various articles about Russ Cohen and foraging in Massachusetts:

http://users.rcn.com/eatwild/toc.htm

Gas tax

2009-02-24T21:11:00.005-05:00

As you all must know by now Governor Patrick has decided to increase our gas tax by 80%+ from 23.5 cents per gallon to 42.5 cents per gallon. At a time when people are hurting, at a time when people are losing their jobs, at a time when people are losing their homes, at a time when people are losing their health insurance and the best Our Government can do is to tax We The people. We The People are already forced to make decisions about how to spend our limited cash. We The People all are already forced to prioritize our needs and make do or do without.
At a time when we have to, if we are lucky, settle for the ground beef rather than the sirloin. Or abandon our hope for a family vacation. We The People forget about sending our kid to summer camp or the private school. And what does Our Government offer in return? Do we get a hand up? No. Do we get a tax credit? No. Do we get assistance of any kind? No.

Our Government once again taxes We The people.

Across the Commonwealth every week thousands are losing their jobs. Last week thousands lost their jobs, and the week before that and the week before that and the week before that. What once were two income families are now one income families. What once were full-time jobs are now part-time jobs. And in return, Our government taxes We The people.

When will it end? How many times and for how long and how deeply can Our Government continue to bleed We The People dry.

Our cities and towns all come with their hands out too.

Why can't government understand that we are choosing to heat our homes or feed our bodies, to buy medicine or new sneakers? We have limited resources and have to live within our means.

When will We The People rise up in a chorus and scream from the buildings, parks and mountains, "We don't have it. We don't have it. We don't have it?" What will it take?

How in the face of so much widespread, popular suffering can Our Government ask us to give any more? How?

How can there be such a total and absolute disconnect between the daily struggles of We The People and Our Government? We elect them. They work for US.

I saw Mayor Menino on TV last week. He was speaking about the possibility of stimulus monies being wasted, the good Mayor said, and I quote that people will "revolt." Menino said the R word, revolt. Which is awfully close to the other R word.

I fear that day is coming. We don't have it. We will stop paying our taxes. There will be a tax revolt. There will be a tax revolt.

If our government is unresponsive to We The People there will be changes. Call you legislators. Write your legislators. Let them know that We have no more to give.

And if they are unresponsive, let them know that there will be changes.

Tax by tickets.

2009-02-24T21:01:00.002-05:00

Looks like all the cops are on the prowl for any tickets they can write. All the towns are short on income, and they are not counting on the Commonwealth for a handout. So what's that mean? For me, two tickets in a week. It's been 10 years since I got pegged, so I'm fighting both of them.

I have seen people pulled over all over the place, so be careful out there. It's one thing for a $140 speeding ticket, it's worse because of the damn insurance surcharge. Expect this to get worse.

Canning Resources

2009-02-22T08:20:00.002-05:00

Some good resources for anyone starting out with canning:

30 pages of the basics of canning from the USDA-
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/usda/utah_can_guide_01.pdf

Great information. The Preserving Food at Home Self-Study course is really good. It allows you to work through the 4 modules at your own pace, and is free.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html

A forum/message board for any questions and sharing information:
http://www.freshpreserving.com/phpbb/phpBB3/index.php?sid=455f1ba3395264bc2d7810202801fda0

Granny Miller's blog- she has made quite a few videos about canning, which can be accessed from her site:
http://grannymillerblog.blogspot.com/

Canning supplies such as water-bath canners, jars, kids, mixes, etc:
http://canningusa.com/shop.php

Canning and freezing information with illustrations:
http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm

And some of my favorite canning and preserving books:

http://www.amazon.com/BALL-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235309718&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Food-Plume-Janet-Greene/dp/0452268990/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235309718&sr=1-5

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Small-Batch-Preserving-Year-Round/dp/1554072565/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235309718&sr=1-7

http://www.amazon.com/Persons-Guide-Preserving-Step-Step/dp/0882669001/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235309718&sr=1-9

this is amazing

2009-02-21T20:19:00.000-05:00

Change you can download: a billion in secret Congressional reports
From Wikileaks
Jump to: navigation, search
February 8, 2009
EDITORIAL

Change you can download.

Wikileaks has released nearly a billion dollars worth of quasi-secret reports commissioned by the United States Congress.
Frontpage of sample CRS report, RL31555: China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues, dated January 7, 2009. A full listing of reports is available here.The 6,780 reports, current as of this month, comprise over 127,000 pages of material on some of the most contentious issues in the nation, from the U.S. relationship with Israel to the financial collapse. Nearly 2,300 of the reports were updated in the last 12 months, while the oldest report goes back to 1990. The release represents the total output of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) electronically available to Congressional offices. The CRS is Congress's analytical agency and has a budget in excess of $100M per year.

link at right,,,,treasure

stolen post from Dad in WA...thanks

2009-02-20T15:18:00.003-05:00

Just how much is $315 billion dollars and what would it look like?
$315 Billion dollars and what would it look like.(The pictures did not display well when shared on this site, therefore I have pulled them.) I do however recommend going over to "ryanandsusie's" for a better look and view of their pictures of just how large a pile of money $315 billion dollars is.
Their site is at: http://www.ryanandsusie.com/images/money_stack/
--------------
After viewing "ryanandsusie's" immages, then try to imagine over $700 Billion Dollars in one stack! Worse yet, estimates are that the bailout could include over $2 Trillion dollars (or more), before our government is finished trying to solve our financial crisis by throwing money at the problem. This is why it is equally important to go to one more site for additional graphics.
This next site is well worth the visit. It is to Glenn Beck's website. Glenn has a short video clip that shows just how outrageous this current spending is, compared to the government's prior history of printing and spending since 1921. (Catch Glenn's video at the below listed website)
Below is a graph from Glenn's site, but trust me, it does not do it justice or give the accompanied explaination from Glenn's lips as he explains all the details in his short video.Be prepared to be shocked, this is a real eye opener......

Glenn's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDEe0Ai6lTM
Posted by Bill at 9:16 AM

contributor input

2009-02-19T19:37:00.005-05:00

the title bar could be used to create more hits for the site,,,whats needed is concise descriptive terms for what the goal of the page is,,,,any suggestions,,,best wins first prize..killer, aint it?also if anyone knows who or what meta words are and how to incorporate them,,there's a better prize,,thanks first prize->

wtf?,,over

2009-02-19T08:06:00.003-05:00

this is real? tell me somethings not seriously amiss in the USA?

Children's Books in Dumpsters: Washington's Madness Continues
by Gary North
by Gary North

The kiddie police have begun to march across America, threatening thrift stores, as I warned.

On February 10, workers in America's thrift stores tossed out every children's book that was printed prior to 1985. That is the law.

A parent is not allowed to go into a thrift store and buy a book printed before 1985. Those books are now gone.

On the dumpsters filled with children's books, read this.

Congress has spoken. Well, not quite. The bureaucrats who use Congress as their hand puppet, agency by agency, have spoken. The bureaucrats spend their careers identifying threats to the people. They get paid to do this, and they are paid well. They invent a presumed threat and then terrorize Congress into passing a 500-page bill that no Congressman has read. Then the bureaucrats add more regulations in the name of this 500-page law.

This has gone on since 1913, and it will continue to go on until the system finally breaks down. This is the logic of the system.

Here is the new reality, one week old. If you can still find any pre-1985 books, it is because the thrift store's managers don't know they are breaking the law and could be fined or sent to prison if they persist.

Congress passed the enabling legislation law last year: The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. It has 239 sections. I don't expect you to read it – after all, no Congressman or Senator did – but click the link and skim it: "Most parents are irresponsible and must not be trusted."

Every Federal law looks like this one. This was true when I was a Capitol Hill staffer for Ron Paul in 1976, and it will be true for as long as the Federal government is solvent by means of (1) our tax money, (2) Treasury debt investors' money, and (3) Federal Reserve fiat money.

The bureaucrats are now enforcing the letter of the 2008 law. Congressmen will feign ignorance. "Gee, how were we to know?"

Too late. The books are in landfill.

But why? "Stop dangerous lead paint!" Right. The lead paint in pre-1985 kids' books in minuscule traces. There is no known example of any child being injured by lead paint from a book. No matter. The law's the law.

This seems insane, but it is the relentless logic of the State: "Nothing is permitted unless authorized by the State."

The Federal government has authorized abortion on demand. But, once a parent allows a child to be born, that parent is not be allowed to buy the child a pre-1985 book. Such books are too dangerous for children.

This is the logic of Washington. This logic is relentless. It will be extended by law into every nook and cranny of our lives until it is stopped.

This will stop it: (1) the destruction of the dollar, (2) the bankruptcy of the Federal government, and (3) a decision by millions of Americans to say, "I will not obey this law." Law by law, people say, one by one, "I will not obey. Arrest me. I will hire a lawyer. Maybe I will simply defend myself in a court of law. I will resist." Gandhi did it. It worked. People will organize, law by law, to clog the courts, jam the legal system, and vote out of office every politician who does not repeal a specific law. Nothing else can stop this madness.

Americans have surrendered their liberties to Washington, one by one. The process is relentless. No insanity is too great for the bureaucrats. Yet the public is oblivious.

It stems from a simple assumption: "My neighbors are irresponsible. They must not be allowed to make voluntary exchanges, no matter how harmless." This belief leads to a principle of law: Nothing is allowed unless authorized by the State.

Some of your friends may think you are extreme for not trusting Congress and the bureaucrats. Forward this report to them. They may not yet perceive the nature of Beltway madness.

It is going to get much worse. We can be certain of this. Bureaucrats respect only one thing: budget cuts. That's a long way away. But the destruction of the dollar may not be.

February 18, 2009

Gary North [send him mail

massachusetts..what went wrong?

2009-02-19T06:14:00.004-05:00

not so far back,,this commonwealth(yak), was filled with men and woman of upstanding and outstanding character and purveyors of individual sovereignty,,,what would they see now? sure, as individuals some are still strong in their beliefs,,but not enough to affect the ruling body of this state, who, in my not so humble opinion, could never be qualified to clean this mans shoes...being jailed for refusal to pay war tax for an immoral war,,,refusal is a sovereign persons RIGHT>>>
(ps..he grew beans as staple during his time in the woods at walden,,and only forsook his residence because of loneliness)

"Thoreau was a great writer, philosopher, poet, and withal a most practical man, that is, he taught nothing he was not prepared to practise in himself. ... He went to gaol for the sake of his principles and suffering humanity. His essay has, therefore, been sanctified by suffering. Moreover, it is written for all time. Its incisive logic is unanswerable." - Mohandas Gandhi

"... when, in the mid-1950's, the United States Information Service included as a standard book in all their libraries around the world a textbook ... which reprinted Thoreau's 'Civil Disobedience,' the late Senator Joseph McCarthy succeeded in having that book removed from the shelves — specifically because of the Thoreau essay." - Walter Harding, in The Variorum Civil Disobedience

"I became convinced that noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good. No other person has been more eloquent and passionate in getting this idea across than Henry David Thoreau. As a result of his writings and personal witness, we are the heirs of a legacy of creative protest." - Martin Luther King, Jr, Autobiography

mass prepper blog

2009-02-18T19:04:00.002-05:00

this blog was created by a good man(Tom,@American Prepper Network) to allow open communication of ideas deemed worthy of prepping and survivalist themes,,,,by becoming a contributor, you have access to posting what you see as of interest to others,,,chances are very good, that if you feel an idea is interesting or relevant ,,so too will some other person,,who may not have any knowledge of the subject or more info to add,it could assist their preparedness,,this page is ours,,yours, mine, theirs....the only things to keep controlled is any racial or otherwise abusive assaults and opinionating,,theres no market for that here,,you don't know what i am, i don't know what you are,,but seemingly we are preppers together,,and all part of the same family,,,the human family,,my permission is not needed,,c'mon,,this is for us all...take advantage..have a good'un,,,feed the machine,,keep prepping

Storing Seeds

2009-02-18T12:35:00.000-05:00

Seeds are living things, and need to be properly stored to maintain their viability for as long as possible. If you are like me, seed catalogs are addictive, and it is very easy to get carried away when buying seeds. You might have hundreds of seed packets, and room for approximately 15 to 20 different varieties in your garden. So, how to store the rest of the seeds that you will not be planting this upcoming season?

The most important thing to remember is that you need to protect your seed investment from heat and humidity. More than anything else, too much moisture will hasten the deterioration of your seeds. The ideal moisture level for seed storage is only 10 to 12%, so they need to be stored at a low relative humidity level. Seeds should never be stored in a warm, sunny, or humid environment like a greenhouse, even for a few hours.

The ideal storage medium is a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator. I have stored seeds for 3 or 4 years in the refrigerator in several layers of zip-loc bags, and have had good germination rates. A cool basement might also work well, as long as it is dry. This year, I ordered a lot of seeds (approximately 140 packets), and sealed a large number of them inside wide-mouth Mason jars with my Food Saver vacuum sealer jar attachment. I would not advise vacuum sealing the packets directly, as it could crush the outer seed coating, and ruin the seeds for future planting.

Depending on the seed variety, some seeds have a longer shelf-life than others. These include squash, radishes, turnips, and lettuce. Seeds with a shorter shelf life include onion, spinach, chives, and pumpkins.

If you have had seeds for a long time, you can check their germination rate by placing them between damp paper towels and placing them in plastic bag for a few days (on top of the refrigerator works well, and acts as a gentle “seed-starting” heat mat). If they sprout, they can be planted in the garden, and if they don’t sprout, you haven’t wasted valuable time and space in the garden waiting for them to come up.

Samuel Adams,,Massachussetts Terrorist

2009-02-18T05:59:00.001-05:00

Samuel Adams was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, the son of a prominent landowner and brewer, and cousin and political mentor of John Adams. He studied at Harvard College and received his degree in 1743. Following college he began the study of law, but soon gave in to family pressures and took a position as a clerk in the counting house of Thomas Cushing, one of the colony's leading merchants. Adams was not a success in business and worked for Cushing only a short time before beginning his own short-lived venture.
In spite of his lack of success at business (failing as a brewer and tax collector and wasting an inheritance), Adams displayed true genius in politics. He excelled at political discourse, writing and strategy. In 1765, Adams was elected to the General Court (legislature) of Massachusetts, representing the town of Boston. His abilities were recognized by his fellow legislators and he soon rose to a leadership position. Adams was offered positions by royal officials that would have enriched him, but he refused and remained chronically in debt.
Adams was prominent in organizing protests over the Sugar Act (1764) and the Stamp Act (1765). His continued outspoken criticism of English policies did much to foment public unrest, which erupted into violence in the Boston Massacre in 1770. Adams worked with "committees of correspondence," which exchanged ideas with dissidents in other colonies for opposing British programs. Adams played a prominent role in planning and executing the Boston Tea Party.
Adams' views became radical after the British closed the port of Boston and quartered soldiers in the city in 1774. He attended both the First Continental Congress (1774) and the Second Continental Congress (1775), speaking forcefully as an advocate of independence. On the eve of hostilities, Adams narrowly eluded the British forces at Lexington. He continued to serve in the Congress during the War and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Later Adams was a supporter of the new Constitution and worked to assure ratification by Massachusetts. He served as governor of the Commonwealth from 1793 to 1797.

my little town

2009-02-17T09:04:00.003-05:00

i wonder a lot as to my location in time of massive crisis,,this area is heavily populated, by small town standards, and tho there still are many families that have been here for generations, we are also faced with many upscale yuppie families and a significant number of "transients"..ie, people who came to the area to rent and work while the economy was good...few interactions go beyond hi how are ya etc,,,i'm in this town,,but hometown is next one down,,it suffered the influx far worse than here,,,i still know many of the locals and have a lot of good friends from back in the day...my plan b,,should hunkerdown mode not be realised is to move to friends neighborhood,,,where i have made numerous appearances and so am somewhat accepted,,on the say so of my partner,,,group dynamics will need be developed,,and egos will come into play with some thinking they be general washington or such, i'm sure..would be a shame to relocate my stashes only to be expected to become a flunky to someone that maybe don't have as much going for him as he thought,,,i'd be the newcomer,,,and i couldn't take idiotic commands,,,few have any mil experience,,just a lotta guns and budweiser bravado....squatting is first on list,,i can convert a mcmansion to livable in a week, with materials on hand,,and the empty ones i've earmarked fit my bill,,,all this is dependant on a near complete breakdown of societal enforcement,,but i look that far so as to be prepared,,,we will have an area capable of mutual support,,but there will be a lot of bugs to work out,,as i, for one,,have no clear idea of these peoples abilities and/or attitudes when it gets tight,,,i seen some shit,,i can function,,,i pray those that haven't are willing to listen to those of us who have,,,cuz if not,,its another bailout sit for me,,to a less secure but self governing area,,,make sense?,,,rambling,,thinking..its gettin close
any input appreciated,,,i always remain open to experience and knowledge..and no, i dont think im the cats meow,,,but i have a tigers forepaws

Container Gardening

2009-02-16T21:21:00.001-05:00

Almost every edible crop that is grown in a traditional garden plot can be successfully raised in a container. Even if you have limited space, or room for just one or two pots on your balcony, you can harvest fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and edible flowers.

Here is a sampling of the things I have grown in containers in western Massachusetts for the last 19 years:

Tomatoes
Green Beans
Snap peas
Squash
Kale
Spinach
Swiss chard
Peppers
Cucumbers
Radishes
Lettuce
Basil
Strawberries

Even though many people, including myself, have a “regular” garden, there are many advantages to container growing. There is virtually no weeding, and soil in containers is resistant to soil-borne diseases and pests such as slugs. Pots can be easily moved around or brought indoors at the threat of frost. Perennial plants such as dwarf fruit trees can be brought inside for the winter. The same pot can be used for succession planting throughout the growing season- snap peas or Asian greens such as bok choy in the spring, tomatoes in the summer, and kale in the fall.

Some of the things to consider for container gardening- you must be vigilant about watering, especially when the plant root systems get bigger and the weather is hot. This can mean daily watering. There are water-holding crystals such as Soil-Moist that can be mixed into the soil, and then absorb water and gradually release it as needed. You must also be careful of over-fertilizing. Crops that produce large sprawling vines, such as pumpkins and watermelons, are not generally suitable for containers, although some smaller varieties might be available. Many seed companies offer seed varieties specifically bred for smaller spaces such as container growing.

To get started, evaluate the space you currently have, and approximately how much sun that spot will get during the summer growing season. As a general rule, plants such as peppers or tomatoes will require 6 hours of sunlight. Decide what you and your family want to eat, and grow what you like. It is fun to experiment with different varieties, and it is very easy to try 3 or 4 types of tomatoes in individual pots to see which ones you like best.

Below are a couple of websites with more information, and also a great book on growing vegetables in containers.

Websites:
http://www.revivevictorygarden.org/containers.html
http://www.vegetablegardeningguru.com/containers.html

The Bountiful Container (book)
http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=B766

get a ticket

2009-02-16T20:09:00.002-05:00

the following is an idea which had been floating around in my skull causing all kinds of disruptions and was getting really irritating,,,then, as so often happens,,i was reading a blog on here, and wish i could do proper credit but it slips my mind.....a ticket...yea, thats right....something with which one gains admittance....in related terms..
maybe you cannot afford or feel there is inadequate time to assemble everything required to pull off your own extended hunkerdown house party when the feces hits the fan,,,consider,,,if you had something of great value,,,not grammas brooch,,but say, the entire collection of "how things work"(think lucifers hammer)...a solid collection of medical gear and texts(or experience with them),,,,,a large supply of heirloom seeds,,,,,piles of ammunition and reloading gear with the skill to use them,,,any numbers of items in a similar vein could be considered by some one as valuable enough to accept as payment for sharing protection in an established safe area,,,sure theres drawbacks..always, ,but if you have limited funds and time it may be worth considering...no one will want someone who is merely a drain on precious resources..increase YOUR value
ideas and critiques welcomed

just a thought

2009-02-16T08:23:00.005-05:00

prepping,,and preppers,,this is what we are supposed to be about,,,newbie or Saxon, it matters not,,,we have the desire to survive the coming hardships, and hard they will be,,,to do this we must communicate,,the new people may be leery of seeming inept,,but if you're new,, of course you can't be expected to have the degree of expertise and knowledge that someone that has been at it a while has..but you can't learn by not becoming involved...rather, many times, questions that may seem stupid, will inspire someone who is sure they know all there is, to reassess and often learn something more as they answer..nobody has all the answers,,that much i can be certain of,,i've been prepping in this present mode for a number of years,and constantly pick up new techniques from very unexpected situations,,,prior to present day methods,,i had five cases of c-rations,,and 9 different weapons, all with a goodly supply of ammo,,,,,i've come a long way since then,,restructuring EVERY aspect of what i once considered "being ready",,ive learned to pretty much ignore the ego trippers,,, armchair wannabes,,,big money monsters,,,,every aspect of these past 12/14 years has been conducted on a low budget,,and is far superior in content and sustainability than when i was rolling in cash,,,i make more realistic decisions on what is needed,,,from soap to womans hygiene products to seeds,,to name a few,,,less money means choosing what is needed,,not wanted,,,rambo is a movie,,not very realistic in a SHTF situation,,,sure everyone has their preferences,,and those that have big money,,more power to em,,,me,,i believe what i have assembled will meet my needs far more realistically than if i were flush with cash,,,there is a lot more consideration involved when you can only buy x amount of preps a week,,,,don't read me wrong,,i aint knocking people with money,,but it isnt required to build a well rounded supply of needed material... .and,,don't make the mistake that you have beacoup time left,,,,to prep properly.or adequately,SHALL require a great deal of sacrificing,,more so than had you begun years ago,,,review your present status,,,what do you have on hand to build with...seek assistance,,there are literally thousands of people i know of who will consider themselves fortunate to suggest, volunteer their energies, to anyone that is serious,,,anyone along the way gives you grief for"just wakin up" or any other horse pucky,,ignore em,,rise above,,move forward with those who will help...you have you to save,,if you have kids and loved ones, then dammit,,quit reading this and FIND HELP....pm me if you want some good places with good people to start,,,now..GET OFF YOUR ASS and get it going you only fail when you quit
have a good'un,,,,cuz the shitstorms coming

Massachusetts CISA- Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture

2009-02-14T07:16:00.005-05:00

This is a great local organization for western and central Massachusetts. I have posted the Mission Statement below, and also a link to the Events page. There are some upcomimg workshops and a "Cabin Fever" seed savers exchange in Greenfield on February 28th.

Our Mission
CISA links farmers and communities to strengthen agriculture and enhance the economy, rural character, environmental quality, and social well-being of western Massachusetts and partners with other organizations in its region and around the country to sustain agriculture.

http://www.buylocalfood.com/events.html

another thought,,i'm bushed now

2009-02-14T04:55:00.001-05:00

think this is from websters,,the definition clarifies the purpose of the concept...i think i chose to become a contributor in this confederation of state sites, wishing to inspire one or two folks to realise the necessity of rebirthing an attitude that seems to have died with the advent of teevee and the automobile....not only this nation,,but many for as far back into the shadows of history, people have put aside those items that would, by default, be needed later....food mostly, i would imagine, as free people always were armed,,gardens ended,,game got scarce,,we seem to have forgotten that,,actually,,few people in this country and time have ever known being without........yet now, as never before in this historical period,we are faced with a potentially catastrophic shakeup in the american dream,,,,food shortage/rationing/depletion....i'll try to contribute what i can in the way of information,,,but my communication skills need serious help...if you're a prepper,,you must have a tidbit or two worth sharing,,,think of the helpless kids
Main Entry: con·trib·ute
Pronunciation: \kən-ˈtri-byət, -(ˌ)byüt also & especially before -ed or -ing -ˈtri-bət; chiefly British also ˈkän-trə-ˌbyüt\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): con·trib·ut·ed; con·trib·ut·ing
Etymology: Latin contributus, past participle of contribuere, from com- + tribuere to grant — more at tribute
Date: 1530
transitive verb
1: to give or supply in common with others
2: to supply (as an article) for a publication
intransitive verb
1 a: to give a part to a common fund or store b: to play a significant part in bringing about an end or result
2: to submit articles to a publication
— con·trib·u·tor \-byə-tər, -bə-, -ˌbyü-\ noun

"Canned Butter Warning"

2009-02-13T08:49:00.003-05:00

I was tempted to try some of the directions circulating on some of the preparedness blogs for "canning" butter, until I saw this. I am not willing to take any risk of botulism.

From the National Center for Home Preservation:

Should I use directions for canning butter at home that I see on the Internet?Indeed, there are some directions for 'canning' butter in circulation on the Internet. Most of what we have seen are not really canning, as they do not have Boiling Water or Pressure Canning processes applied to the filled jar. Jars are preheated, the butter is melted down and poured into the jars, and the lids are put on the jars. Some directions say to put the jars in the refrigerator as they re-harden, but to keep shaking them at regular intervals to keep the separating butter better mixed as it hardens. This is merely storing butter in canning jars, not ‘canning’. True home canning is when the food is heated enough to destroy or sufficiently acid enough to prevent growth of all spores of Clostridium botulinum (that causes botulism) and other pathogens during room temperature storage on the shelf. Additionally, when you consider the economics of the process (energy costs involved with heating, cost of jars and lids, etc.), even if the butter is bought on sale, it may not be economically viable to prepare butter to store for years in this manner. Good quality butter is readily available at all times, if butter is needed for fresh use. If the concern is about emergency food supplies, there are dry forms of butter that can be purchased and stored, oils that can be used in an emergency, or commercially canned butter in tins (although we have only seen this for sale from other countries). Melted and re-hardened butter may not function the same as original butter in many types of baking anyway. There are a few issues with the common directions circulating on the Internet at this time (Spring 2006):
Physical safety and food quality: In the provided directions, the jars are preheated in an oven (dry-heat), which is not recommended for canning jars. Manufacturers of canning jars do not recommend baking or oven canning in the jars. It is very risky with regard to causing jar breakage. There is no guarantee that the jars heated in this dry manner are sufficiently heated to sterilize them, as we do not have data on sterilizing jar surfaces by this dry-heating method.
The butter is not really being 'canned'; it is simply being melted and put in canning jars, and covered with lids. Due to some heat present from the hot melted butters and preheated jars, some degree of vacuum is pulled on the lids to develop a seal. It rarely is as strong a vacuum as you obtain in jars sealed through heat processing. The practice in these 'canned' butter directions is referred to as 'open-kettle' canning in our terminology, which is really no canning at all, since the jar (with product in it) is not being heat processed before storage.
Although mostly fat, butter is a low-acid food. Meat, vegetables, butter, cream, etc. are low-acid products that will support the outgrowth of C. botulinum and toxin formation in a sealed jar at room temperature. Low-acid products have to be pressure-canned by tested processes to be kept in a sealed jar at room temperature. It is not clear what the botulism risk is from such a high-fat product, but to store a low-acid moist food in a sealed jar at room temperature requires processing to destroy spores. A normal salted butter has about 16-17% water, some salt, protein, vitamins and minerals. Some butter-like spreads have varying amounts of water in them. We have no kind of database in the home canning/food processing arena to know what the microbiological concerns would be in a butter stored at room temperature in a sealed jar. In the absence of that, given that it is low-acid and that fats can protect spores from heat if they are in the product during a canning process, we cannot recommend storing butter produced by these methods under vacuum sealed conditions at room temperature.
Some other directions do call for 'canning' the filled jars of butter in a dry oven. This also is not 'canning'. There is not sufficient, research-based documentation to support that 'canning' any food in a dry oven as described on this web page or any page that proposes oven canning is even sufficient heating to destroy bacteria of concern, let alone enough to produce a proper seal with today's home canning lids. In conclusion, with no testing having been conducted to validate these methods, we would NOT recommend or endorse them as a safe home-canning process, let alone for storing butter at room temperature for an extended period. We do know that the methods given for preheating empty jars, or even filled jars, in a dry oven are not recommended by the jar manufacturers or by us for any food. Aside from the physical safety and quality issues, and the fact that it is not canning at all, if there happened to be spores of certain bacteria in there, these procedures will not destroy those spores for safe room temperature storage.

major blunder

2009-02-13T05:22:00.002-05:00

the other day while playing with the site, and thinking i was merely cleaning up new post page,,i deleted all previous postings...thinking a blog isn't a blog without them,,anyone got some extras?

yankeeprepper arrives

2009-02-13T03:55:00.001-05:00

great to hear from you..please jump right in...

worth considering

2009-02-12T08:57:00.001-05:00

The world is probably closer to the use of nuclear arms in anaggressive manner today than it has been since the Cuban MissileCrisis. There's the possibility of a terrorist attack with nuclearweapons, the possibility that Iran has nuclear weapons, North Korea'sgrowing nuclear arsenal and the sorry state of security for oldSoviet Union weapons.So let's say the worst happens and you hear on the radio that anuclear device has exploded somewhere in the world. Here are CaptainDave's suggestions for what to do:Don't Panic. Those of us who grew up during the cold war have a gravefear of nuclear war and many are likely to assume that because one ormore nuclear warheads or device has exploded, the world as we know itwill end. This could result in all sorts of panic, especially sinceit will take some time for real facts and figures to be known. (We'llcover the effects of panic more extensively below.) So your firststep is to separate yourself from the masses by not panicking. Take adeep breath and remember that if you are not in the blast radius ordown wind from it, you are in no immediate danger form the blast. Socalm down and don't do anything foolish. Instead of acting out ofpanic, take a few minutes to make a plan or to activate an existingplan (which we can help you develop). Remember, just because thosearound you are losing their heads does not mean you need to do soalso.Keep Informed. Turn on the news and try to learn as much as you canabout the attack as well as local events. This will affect how yourplan. Later, you will need to monitor reports of fallout (see below.)The location, number and size of the detonations are important, asare the wind currents and weather patterns. How people around theworld and around your neighborhood react is also something you shouldmonitor, as it will effect your immediate well being more than theactual explosions will.Gather Your Family. During any period of unrest, it's best to haveyour immediate family around you. People who are traveling shouldreturn home on the first available flight or should rent cars anddrive home if flights are booked or grounded. Everyone will performbetter knowing that their loved ones are safe.If your kids are in school or day care, there is probably no reasonto get them immediately. They should return home safely throughregular means, such as the school bus or carpool. Remember Rule One(don't panic) and do nothing to panic your children. This will be astressful time for everyone, and getting young children panicky orupset will not help the situation. You will have to decided whetheror not to send them back to school the following days based on yourplan and what you have learned from Step 2. If your children are atan away camp or boarding school, you will have to determine if theyare possibly safer there than at your residence.Cancel extracurricular activities and plans outside the home untilyou can be sure (by monitoring the news) that the situation isstabilized and there is no danger or unrest locally.Lock Your Doors. Once you have all gathered at home, lock your doorsand secure your perimeter as best as possible. Then try to go aboutlife as you normally would. Have a good dinner and play a game withthe kids. Watch a video. Try to seek normalcy and be reassuring sothat the kids can sleep well. Don't bombard them or yourself withrepeated images of death and destruction on TV, as this is nothealthy. Don't do anything dangerous or risky as police, fire andambulance services may be responding to other emergencies. Butremember, unless civil unrest develops as a result of panic, anuclear detonation in the Middle East or Asia will cause no immediatedanger to people in North America. A detonation in the U.S. couldhave much more serious effects, but this really depends on the targetand your location. The closed you are to the blast radius, the moreimmediate the danger.Now, you may think it is foolish to watch TV and take it easy, but ifyou have planned and prepared and have ample supplies of food andsurvival gods, there is no reason to act otherwise. If you have notprepared, then going out to buy up supplies at the last minute willonly add to the panic and endanger you. So take advantage of what maybe your last day of calm and family togetherness.Understand What Panic May Do. If a large number of people learn ofthe nuclear exchange at the same time several things may be expectedto happen at once:Telephone lines will be clogged as people immediately call loved onesand decide what to do. The Internet will also grow much busier,especially news sites, as people at work look for breakinginformation.The stock market will crash until trading is suspended. And even whentrading resumes, prices will continue to fall. A nuclear exchangewill create tremendous economic disruption, and this will bereflected in the markets. Have some money available if the ATMs areempty and the credit card machines go down, and have some liquidwealth outside the market.Major roads will be jammed as people leave work and return home,creating a super rush hour. Other people will leave their homesfor "safer" locations, such as friends in the country, vacation homesor even campgrounds. Clogged highways will be especially bad incities and in areas with a limited numbers of bridges and tunnels,such as New York and Washington, D.C. This is a situation where civilviolence could break out.There may be lines or delays at gas stations as everyone decides tofill their tanks before it is "too late." Some stations could run outof gas. Others may rise prices or ask for cash only. This is anothersituation where civil violence could break out.People will shop for food and supplies, causing lines and shortagesof everything from bread and milk to bottled waterbatteries andtoilet paper. Most grocery stores rotate their stock so quickly theyhave only a two to three day supply of key items in stock. Thanks tojust-in-time production and distribution methods, if everyone panicsand shops at one time, we could well see empty shelves very quickly.There may be civil unrest as people panic, especially if there areshortages at the grocery store. If local police forces areoverwhelmed, this could escalate to riots and looting, especially indensely populated urban areas.Riots and civil unrest could cause general lawlessness, as lawenforcement is overwhelmed and unable to respond to calls. Dependingon where you live, you could be in danger form fires (arson), or youcould be targeted for home invasion robberies and other acts ofviolence. You could also get caught up in a riot or random acts ofviolence. Again, proper planning for this possibility will help yoube prepared. Remember that the Korean merchants in South Centraldemonstrated the value of firearm ownership in this type ofsituation.Having a plan can save you from getting caught up in the worst panic.Know where to go and what to do once you are there.Once all family members are at home and you know whether or not thereis local civil unrest, you can plan for the next few days or, betteryet, implement your existing plan. Your key concerns will beprotecting yourself and your loved ones from possible radiationdangers, making sure you are safe from local unrest and ensuring thatyou have enough supplies to live through the next few weeks or evenmonths.
stolen from HunkerDown06 : CODE RED: Economy in Collapse - and SurvivalCreed : Survival Creed

seeds for life

2009-02-11T23:06:00.002-05:00

been sitting here for a couple hours all kinds of thrilled..ordered seeds last sunday, they came in yesterday,,,being low budgeted in all things, i collaborated with several friends to get monies needed,,149$ for a truly impressive collection of seed,,this is totally unsolicited testimony from an overly satisfied customer,,,the collection and quantity together are amazing,, http://www.americansurvivalstore.com/Survivalist-Seeds_c_41.html ,i compared what i received with what i stored last spring,and i wished i hadn't spent so much then,,but hindsight and all,,,dividing them up to send out got me in that gardening mode...if you can afford it, THIS IS a seriously awesome survival purchase..given the coming food crunch,,and it IS coming,,.now to find more tillage,as the competition at local victory garden promises to be stiff this year,,and me being a newbie to the club and all,,,do crossed fingers really work?

library

2009-02-11T06:48:00.011-05:00

knowledge is essential,,aside from basic supplements such as food,medical,defense,,one needs to consider a time when the possibility of self sustainability will be the flavor of the day..personally, i am capable in many survival oriented skills, tho not anywhere near enough for comfort,,also,i figure eventually i'll croak,,before being able to pass on what meager knowledge i have,,and for this reason i have been rebuilding my library as best i can with what paltry sums are available....i can't get beyond the concept that we are entering what will become a dark age,,,maybe generational in extent,,provided we as a species survives..leaving behind as large and diverse a repository of relevant survival skills is, to me, more important than present day enjoyments...if nothing bad comes to pass in my time, at least i'll leave real wealth,,,aka knowledge,behind.
not complete by any means..any suggestions for additions?

traditional bowyers bible,,1 & 2
back to basics,,readers digest
practical blacksmithing and metalworking(blandford)
(gingery books on list..$$)
bicycle maintenance and repair(rodale)
foraging new england(falcon)
the herb book(lust)
mushroom hunters field guide(smith)
mushrooms(peterson)
edible wild plants(peterson)
medicinal plants and herbs(peterson)
herbal medicine makers handbook(green)
complete medicinal herbal(ody)
foxfire(vol 1)
down home ways(johnson)
make it don't buy it(warde)
deer hunting(smith)
handbook of garden insects(rodale)
beginning chess(pritchard)
lateral and critical thinking(sloane et al)
map reading and land nav(fm 21-26)
(also several topos of surrounding areas)
where there is no doctor/dentist(werner et al)
be your own doctor(wigmore/herbalist)
soap making and enjoying(bramson)
SAS survival(wiseman)
make it last(yankee)
ball blue book
book of woodcraft(4 & 5,,seton)
ID and harvesting edible/medicinal plants(wildman brill)
home workplace(organic gardening)
do it yourself gunpowder(mclean)
home workshop explosives(uncle fester)
earth sheltered housing design(mother earth)
root cellaring(bubel)
gardening when it counts(solomon)
in addition, for several years i have collected numerous pdfs and info sheets from various locations online,,which are presently being printed out and folderized..any info deemed relevant or potentially useful...refill kits for ink,,,,knowledge of location in library of necessary titles,priceless
that's my gem for today,,beautiful saturday(my schedule),,,gonna make up a slew of guerilla fishing kits,,,keep preppin,,have a good'un,,peace

wednesdays tidbit

2009-02-11T06:38:00.002-05:00

Survival Things A few things that we have learned over the years....
Our 5 gallon buckets are full of plastic garbage bags, but were you
aware that strips of newspaper inside those garbage bags helps
prevent leakage of the fluids? One section of a standard newspaper,
shredded will provide enough material for 3 garbage bags,
additionally the newspaper will help compost the material... since no
one can tell how long we may be forced to hunker down that waste
material will pile up fast...keeping waste from leaking is one way to
increase ones santiation.
Another tip, using a solar
shower... you really don't need the sun, you can warm the water with
your body heat, using it as a back support or sleeping with it will
warm it up. An inflatable baby pool is an absolute if your planning
to shower inside your shelter/safe place. Not only will it catch the
water, but you can rinse out dirty clothes in that water. The pool
will let you dispose of the water without drenching the inside of
your shelter.
I am fastidious about washing my face I have learned that one way to
conserve water is to have 2 washcloths to wash my face with. One
usually a brightly colored will have soap on it, a small amount of
very hot water will be enough to suds up and wash my face, the other
usually white has no soap on it and using 1/4 or less of hot water
after I have rinsed will remove any residual soap in that cloth, If
you have to rinse the cloth that has soap on it to rinse your face
with you increase your usage to about 2 cups..... Since my well went
dry over a decade ago, and drought preventing the cistern from
filling I have learned many ways to conserve water... if you plan to
remain in your home the water from any bathing or washing of dishes
will flush your toilet.... we have learned that one gallon or less of
water will flush the toilet.... even with a low flush toilet there is
a lot of water waste... when SHTF water will be one of the most
valuable resources...
When my children were little they were unaware that KoolAid (any dry
drink mix) was supposed to have sugar added... I used the juice from
the fruits that I canned to sweeten Kool Aid. This trick will work
during an emergency as well. Jello will also make a good drink if you
add enough water.. the additional pectin will help slow down diharrea
and there is no need to add sugar, making jello a preferred drink mix
when saving sugar is important.(shine)
an online friend presently located in middle of KY ice storm