Saturday, December 31, 2011

To all my readers

May you each and every one have a Happy and Prosperous New Year. May your 2012 end with happiness and success, may your life be satisfying. May you and your family grow closer and I hope that your year ends with all of those you care for safe and comfortable.

My best wishes to all of you.

I'm off to a party, so don't expect anything until Monday, at the earliest!

Until then, be safe.

Friday, December 30, 2011

we need a list.

Of "bad" words so we can overwhelm the system that is watching us.

Eventually there will be enough processing power that we cannot overwhelm it, but until then, we can make it hard.

Jihad,
Bomb,
Infidel,
militia,
Prep.
drugs,
explosive,
revolution,
Yayo,
weed.
Gunwalker,
Ammunition,
bullets,
TNT
AMFO (and Ammonium Nitrate)
Radioactive....

Anyone want to add to the list? please, do so in comments.Lets get a BIG list for the Son of Echelon to chew on..

I think, just for testing purposes, I'll start out each cell phone conversation with one or more of these words for the near future. Just to help them test the system, ya know.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

It are not too late

If you haven't, get in the game for great prizes and a chance to help some deserving folks!

More free ice cream later. I got brain lock.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

I wonder if we can do that in Indiana?

Seems that Montana citizens are launching a recall of their senators who voted for the NDAA.

I kind of like the idea. It's legal, which voting from the rooftops isn't. (although the latter might be a more effective deterrant to future un-Constitutional votes).

I gotta go do some research here and see if we have recall provisions in our state Constitution.

Ammo is expensive

Monday, December 26, 2011

Some pigs are more equal

While the DOD doesn't allow yarmulkes or other religious headgear or other dress, they are bowing to the fundamentalist Muslims (again).

Look: I really don't care what your religion says. When you become a member of an army (any army) or other military organization, you lose your individuality, your rights, and your identity. You become part of the team, a cog in the machine, and you wear the approved UNIform. (uni=one) form. One form. One look. One set of dress rules.

Not so, now the DOD has bowed to pressure. And again, has made 2 sets of rules. One for Muslims, and another for every one not-a-muslim.

Were this a draftee military, there might be a bit understanding. But she volunteered to be a cadet. Chose to join. Volunteered.

CAIR is destroying whatever they touch. And, I think, hurting Muslims in the long run. By their actions, they de-legitimize (in the eyes of many other folks) the religious rules which Muslims live under. And they resist the assimilation process. Many Muslims bring good things to this country. They are the latest wave of strong, hard working would-be citizens who came to this country to make a better life for themselves and their families. Yet CAIR and other such organizations de-legitimizes them. 

Yeah

What HE said.

Now if we could just get the progressives to understand.

And care.

Before we have to do something drastic to stop them. And permanent.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

WTF are you doing?

Reading blogs on Christmas morning?

Shut off the computer and be Christmas-ey.

Be with family or friends.

And Merry CHRISTmas!

(or other appropriate semi religious holiday celebrated more or less around the winter solstice)

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Today, I learned

that it is possible to stand a Kubota 3540 tractor on one front wheel when the loader is properly filled.

And that it will pivot when you turn the wheeel. 

Now I have to order a new seat.

cops/warriors

They shouldn't be the same.

Police are supposed to be peace officers. To "protect and serve". Soldiers are warriors.

But they are becoming harder and harder to tell apart.

If they think they need all of this equipment to be police, what does that say about what they think about the population which they"serve"?

Friday, December 23, 2011

APESHIT

For shoes.

One wonders how many of these eager people are in the 47% that the government says need pay no taxes because they are living in "poverty"...Yet they can afford a $200 pair of shoes.

And look at their behavior: These scenes were repeated all across the country..(you gotta wait for the commercial though)



And:



Just think what their behavior is gonna be like when they are HUNGRY. And cold. And you aren't.

You think the doors on your home are gonna fare any better? And yes, there is definitely an ethnic/socioeconomic component to the crowds. Likely these folks don't have jobs either, if they can be where they were when they were there to get the shoes. Likely living off of "entitlements". But they can shell out the big bucks for fancy shoes. Even though the gubmint thinks they need more money from you to help these folks. 

Think what's gonna happen when the free stuff disappears and the police aren't able to help you. When their children are hungry and the cities are unlivable. When the crowds discover that you have what they want and there is no one to stop them from taking it.

Whatcha gonna do then?

Crowds like these folks will change your liberal attitude, I assure you.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Republican fold

Once again. So all the bad press, and all the posturing was for naught.

What did they gain?

And how much did they lose by doing it?

Just once I'd like to see the Republicans decide to do something, and damned well make it happen. Stand their ground, be strong, and be principled.  Not bow to pressure from the opposition, and not become afraid of what the DNC media says. I'd really like to see them have balls.

Oh, and Mr. Barry: If you really believe that having more money on the hands of citizens proles taxpayers, then why not REALLY cut in taxes. Say, 20%?

I really think that if a large Nickle-Iron meteorite were to hit Washington DC, the only thing I would mourn would be the loss of the monuments and the Smithsonian.But I'd trade them for the clean house in our government.

Now if only I could find one headed in the right direction...

More fraud

In the 2008 elections found.......

all linked to (so far) ACORN (and DNC).

Any surprise?

I bet it is in all 57 50 states and that it is all linked to DNC and ACORN.

Of course, it is just now coming to light, as the 4 years are almost over. Why only now? Why not then? How does it take 3 years to examine signatures? 

One wonders.

.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Doing the jobs

That Americans can't won't aren't allowed to:


all those "shovel ready" jobs...rebuilding the infrastructure of America...paid for with Tax Dollars.

Paid to Chinese firms.

Sad.

But an explanation as to why the US is starting to circle the rim.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

THey oughta shoot him

No charges filed

THey ough to shoot the stupid bastard. Or at least charge him with manslaughter.

Stupid bastard killed a young girl with negligence and stupidity.

A muxxleloader is no less a firearm than any other rifle.

Remember the four rules.

Insurance

Why do we prep? Stockpile food, tools, a means to protect them (and us) from others who might wish to take them? Learn skills to make do without modern conveniences (like electricity) and the skills to protect what we have?

I figure it is insurance...and time.

I spend a little over $5 a week to stockpile food and materials which will give me a little bit of breathing room should the society in which I live go tits-up. Insurance against a time when the normal grocery stores full of food might have their just-in-time deliveries interrupted for a while...or for good. When the electricity which makes my life so easy for me stops doing so. When the natural gas which keeps me warm and which makes it so easy to cook food and gives me hot water for showering stops flowing.When your ,municipal water supply doesn't.

Five dollars a week is all I spend. Seriously. An average of $5.00. I buy canned vegetables when it is a real bargain, and I store those cans in milk crates that I get for free. Rice and beans are also good items to find on sale and which store well, especially in a 5 gallon bucket with a few desiccant packs to keep it dry. $250 a year, more or less. Not much figured weekly though. Most of us spend more than that wastefully. A few less sodas, or one less Latte, or taking a sandwich rather than ordering from Arby's for lunch once a week. But I can store a lot of food for that $5.00 a week.

But besides a bit of peace of mind, what am I really accomplishing? It takes a LOT of food to feed 10 people for a year (to pick a number). That is nearly 11,000 meals......that is 7,000 pounds of rice (or an equivalent amount of beans, or about 6000 cans of vegetables, or 4500 cans of Dinty Moore or Spaghettios. That's a lot of space and a lot of weight. That assumes, of course, that you eat exclusively from your storage food. And realistically, unless you have resources that most of us do not, you cannot store an infinite amount of food, due to cost considerations if not space issues. That 7000 pounds of rice? Realistically that is a little more than 2 pallets of rice...or one of rice and one of beans. Few of us have enough space to store that much. 3 pallets of cans. I don't have that much storage space, unless I clean out the garage....

But you CAN store a surprising number of meals with a little bit of judicious adjustments and some smart thinking. Put a layer or two of cans in the bottom of your closets...Cover with a blanket or towel. Put a board across the tops....You have used your space wisely. Same with under your bed. You can store a lot of calories under a bed. Not enough to last forever, but a lot.....maybe a shelf in the basement (if you have a basement). But with some thinking and ingenuity you can find a place for a few dozen cans/ a few pounds of rice. (a milk crate holds 32 cans, more or less)...

What you are really buying with your $5 a week is to have TIME. Time to adjust your lifestyle. Time to plant a few seeds to have a garden and have the plants bear. Time to figure out what to do, how to live BEFORE you starve.  Time to deal with the new conditions you may find and experience. Time to figure out how things will change, and what will work and what won't. Time to learn. Time to adjust. Breathing space, as it were.

Likely, you are a resourceful person. But no one knows what might happen, what conditions we might find....if and when. That $5.00 each week buys you TIME. Time which may well be as valuable as anything else when you need it to decide a course of action. Time to choose your path. Breathing space so you can make calm, informed decisions. Time which others will not have.

What are you prepping for? Really yer prepping for the future. Might be a bank crash/economic "realignment". Might be a software worm that makes modern electronic banking stop working. Might be a terrorist attack. Might be a natural disaster ('cause FEMA and the local folks did so well post Katrina, didn't they?) Might be an internet attack on our infrastructure, causing electricity to stop for a while. Might be any number of scenarios. No matter what happens (if anything) you, because of your preps, will have bought yourself some time to deal with the issues. Time most people will not have. 

And that time may well be worth more than anything....Yer preps will be a great value when that happens.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

who knew?

I mean, really, Jedi Knights?

and thoughts about their issues here.

I see religious infighting coming soon.

Those Czechs, you know...

I wanna know where they are getting the LightSabers.

Whoah!

These are worth watching.

Like he says, if MTV is running these, then things are just going wrong.

Scary.

How's yer ammo supply? Yer level of training? Last time you went to the range? Did a combat course?

Might want to rectify that soon.

Just Sayin'.

Friday, December 16, 2011

So I gotta ask:

WTF happened to the people of Boston(in particular) and Massachussets in general?

238 years ago today their ancestors took action which led to the Revolution which foreshadowed the forming of our country.....and the writing of the Constitution....which made this country the magnet for freedom seeking peoples all over the world.


Yet today, those same tea party participants would likely spit in the faces of the current residents of Boston and the state in which it resides.

I guess all the freedom lovers moved west and south.

What a shame.

whole lotta shakin' goin' on.

200 years ago today, the fault known as the New Madrid Fault shook the Midwest (and continued for another few months).

The earthquake caused the Mississippi to run backwards for a time and cracked sidewalks in DC.

Whaddya think might happen if that shaking occurred today? With a greater population density and people living in more modern homes (not cabins)?

FEMA would likely have another opportunity to fumble their way through the disaster.

But in the meantime a lot of folks would starve, and may more would die of exposure.

Likely while the National Guard confiscated firearms....

Prep for such things.....have a plan. Have a secondary stash of preps in case your home is destroyed so you have time to dig yer primary shit out of the wreckage of your home while waiting for a blue tarp . 

Have you got earthquake insurance? Mine costs me less than 20 bucks a year for a $5k deductible plan.  Likely never need it, but it'll sure come in handy if we have a 7.0 + here in Indiana and my basement walls collapse.

Just a thought.

It's a start

Now we need even more stuff like this.

and jail time and maybe even asset confiscation for those who defrauded the taxpayers.

Unless, of course, you think a firing squad might be better for those found guilty.

I just met

Massad Ayoob.

Nice guy.

I thought he'd be taller.....

I gotta get me one of these!

I think I am gonna order several of these signs.

 

One for each business, and one for my home.

Maybe one for each car too. And the garage. And the barn.

Maybe my brother will see this and place them in our other businesses as well. (I'll buy 'em Bro!)

You can find them HERE.

Found at

Today's thought.

"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. "


James Madison.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Going after the Sheriff

Who does what the feds won't:

Enforce the immigration laws.

He's unpopular with the Latinos. Most of whom have more loyalty to their "people" than to their country.

And the Obama administration is losing ground in the Latino demographic.

So they sic the civil rights folks on him.You know that if it goes to court, Holder has the judge already picked out (and briefed).

Arizona sheriffs, doing the job the feds won't Protecting our borders. And getting heat for it.

And it must be that a majority of the (legal) residents who vote in the county seem to like him enough to re-elect him.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Now with even more prizes

Seriously, donate a few bucks to Soldiers Angels and get tickets to Linoge's wonderful raffle.

Ya gotta be in it to win it, boyz and gurlz.

Donate. Register. Do god things for some deserving soldiers and maybe yourself.

Now it is even easier

For this to happen: Follow the link...Read the story

Look: I don't know the veracity of this person. I have no way to verify her story. For all I know it is just that: a story.

But I do know that the Patriot Act has many flaws and now, hidden in the National Defense Authorization Act, are even greater dangers...dangers which can lead to (more) stories like Ms Lindauers. Read sections 1031 (especially paragraph (c)) and section1032. No trial. Held on an accusation. No proof required. Indefinite detention. Just on someones say so. No review.

Will the Military and Political folks actually use the openings provided for in the NDAA? Maybe, Maybe not. History says that they will...eventually.

The Constitution provided for protections to prevent such a shadow movement....protections against a hidden agenda or hidden punishments or detention for such individuals. Designed to prevent those in power from abusing their positions. Carefully crafted so long ago to keep the citizens safe from such behavior. That document is what has (so far) prevented this country from becoming, from devolving, into a Russia-like society or third world country like Iran in the '70's (or today), where secret police could pull someone off the street for interrogation or indefinite detention for the "Good of the State" as ordered by a nameless person placed into power and allowed to act with no review or fear of punishment.

Today we have allowed our politicians to strip us of that protection. To subvert the Constitution. To piss on the freedoms and the rules which make this country better (and different) than others.

And I find that frightening. If the implications of the NDAA (House Bill 1540) don't frighten you and anger you, then you are a sheep....and a fool.

How many free peoples have destroyed themselves by proclaiming "It can never happen here!", only to find out that indeed, it can.And when they find that out, it is (generally) too late.

Read the story. True or not, it should frighten you. And now we have opened the doors to even more abuse, with even less oversight.

I am angry. I am frightened. Not for myself, but for my country. That for which it once stood is being subverted....all in the name of the war on terrorism.  First it was the "War on Drugs", then it became a "War on Terrorism". But the erosion of our protection, the Constitution, is accelerating.. It may not affect me, but it will affect your children.

HT: Coyote Prime

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Senate Bill 1867 is now in the House

as HR 1540.

Time to dust off the old dialing finger and let your "Representatives" know what you think about this abortion of a bill.


Then again, we could just revolt.

Or something.

Use the link at the top of the sidebar to find yer "reps" if you aren't sure who to contact (or stronger methods if you think necessary).

Be nice though when you call, angry peasants revolting seem to make them not listen. Until, of course they have too, but by then it is to late.

ETA: They passed the bill.

Perhaps we should begin heating the Tar and unbagging the Feathers.

I'm sure they'd prefer it to my first choice...Rope. Drw your own conclusions as to what it could be used for.

Knowledge and skills.

If you read me often, you realize that I generally advise people to prepare. Plan for things that can happen, and stock accordingly. Stock material supplies, AND stock knowledge. Knowledge is worth it's weight in gold for it's own sake.

What does your library look like? Mine has a LOT of "How TO" books, and I have a lot of personal knowledge. I have the knowledge in my head and the books for reference.

I can blacksmith, I can garden (quite well too, I might add). I am a decent jackleg primitive paramedic. I can fabricate in wood, steel, aluminum and brass. I can smelt copper, cast and forge...iron or brass. I can make bows. I can live off the land with just a knife and enough clothing to keep me from dying of exposure (I was actually comfortable for about 2 weeks that way one summer, just to see if I could....). I can make fire about any way possible. I can fell a tree and move the logs...Then spit and stack them as building material or as firewood...all by hand. I can clean your wound and then stitch you up and dress it and care for it to keep it from being infected.

I can, given a bit of time (and suitable material), produce adobe, clay bricks, tan leather, preserve food...and make containers to protect it.  Given flint, I can make all sorts of useful things. I can make black powder given the materials...and I can find or make those, given time. I can identify and locate and use most herbs available in the midwestern United States (my AO).

I learned to do these things for fun...and I occasionally do them outside of a classroom...for real (except the wounds).

I can engineer and build structures, including bridges and such. I can do basic (and not so basic) plumbing. I can work with nearly any home or light industrial wiring. I can make and use simple machines in innovative ways...Levers, pulleys, inclined planes, rollers, etc (and I occasionally still do, even when there is power equipment that can do it easier...Just for practice).

I can repair almost anything, except bad bearings and vehicle electronics (and I can likely cobble up or substitute temporary replacements for those in a pinch).

As importantly, I have close friends who are dependable who can do the same. The pool of knowledge available is deep and broad. I was lucky. I had a great set of teachers to start me out in my father and his father. I took it from there. And I have good people around me who can do the same.

I need more chemistry and medical knowledge...but I am working on that.

How about you? If you need help moving a washing machine, sharpening that knife, or changing your oil, you are a risk rather than an asset if and when. If you can't fix anything in your house, can't change the brakes on your car, can't build a wall or roof a home, glaze a window, swing an axe, change your own sparkplugs, fell a tree,  pull a splinter or dress the wound, or things like that, then you need to learn, or at least have that knowledge on your bookshelf.

Otherwise, you are a liability. Or will be.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Sunday, December 11, 2011

I didn't win a hat

But I had a great time at the Indy Blogmeet.

Old NFO and The Big Guy traveled far to meet with us, so Midwest Chick and I  drove the two hours to meet with them and the rest: Roberta (of course), Tam, Joanna, Brigid, Don, Jack, Old Grouch, Kerry, Karl (with his famous hats as prizes), and a cast of thousands....I was lucky enough to get to sit next to Tam for some great conversation.

We had excellent service, and an unflappable waitress, who kept us full of assorted beverages and made sure that there was room for the many and assorted appetizers and (somehow) kept our food orders straight, even while ignoring the display of lethal hardware.

The portions of conversations I could follow included the color of electrical arcs, the destructive mechanism of of overloaded and overrun turbines, the incredible awesomeness of the Navy's railguns, the damage electrical current does to cutters (and other metal implements) when the power is (of course) "off" (you checked it yourself didn't you?), and the relative merits of assorted knives and multitools (there were enough of the former for about 2.8 per person, and at least one of the latter to equip each attendee....we could have disassembled a car with all of them).

As we arrived early for the meet (we left early in case there were issues with the 130 mile trip) we met up with Brigid and OldNFO for a bit of impromptu shopping for spices and such, and I had the fun of chasing Brigid's truck through the northeast side of Indy's traffic.....A challenge, I assure you, to keep her (and Midwest Chick) in sight as they wove in and out of traffic (likely Brigid was urged to challenge me by Midwest Chick?). It was fun as I had time to chat with OldNFO during the chase trip. We spent way too much money at Penzy's and Artisanos for specialized spices and oils and vinegars and salts and such....But they will be put to good use in my kitchen, I assure you.

It was a good relaxing day. I was tired early though, due to my (apparently not yet fully) recovery from a bad case of flu earlier in the week...We'd have liked to stay and have dinner with Jay and OldNFO, but the 2 hour trip home was looming, so we left about 4.

If you weren't there, you missed it. Sad you.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Don't even think about it...

Was talking to a man the other day....He knows me, and knows I am a prepper.(I sometimes preach...what can I say?)...He isn't, but he has all the toys...boat, cars, jet skis, motorcycles, etc.... During the conversation he asked if I am still prepping? "every day" I replied..."You?"

"Nah" he said. "I'll just come to your place".

"Don't even think about it, brother..."I replied. "Not unless you show up with 6 months worth of food for every person you bring, along with a rifle and pistol for each person and 500 rounds of ammo for each weapon...Else I'll give you one meal and show you to the gate and wish you luck. No tickee-no washee."

"But if I have all that I won't need to come to your place!"

Exactly.

Hope I never see him, if and when.

But he'll make his choices, just as I make mine. 

Friday, December 9, 2011

looner eeklipse

 Might be worth getting up early, especially you deer hunters.

Supposed to be something special.


http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/02dec_lunareclipse/

Exactly right

Think quick....Be ready

React.

Or be dead.

If you haven't read these...

Then you should.

"Surviving the Economic Collapse" : This is likely where the US will be in 10 years....Europe in 4.....Maybe less.

unless something bad happens....

And you should read "One Second After"...And "Lucifer's Hammer". Both are fiction (and dramatized). But both are very plausible scenarios which COULD happen. And which should get you thinking about what you might have to do to deal with the aftermath. Unless you really don't want to survive....

I do NOT think that things are going to change in a bright flash which in one second changes the world we live in. The more likely scenario is that things slowly slide into an Argentina-like devolution of our country. Less and less "official" productivity...Fewer and fewer people paying taxes and more and more people taking rather than contributing to society...Less and less culture and civilized behavior. (go to the "bad" part of any medium sized town or larger city for examples of the behavior to which I am referring ... and lets us not forget how large crowds of "Urban Yoots" can act)..... your hours of work slowly ending up buying less and less as prices edge higher and higher and inflation destroys your buying power. Police and courts and laws becoming less and less effective over time. More and more criminal behavior (which becomes more and more blatant) and less and less you can do about it.

The above statement does not preclude me from preparing to have enough time in a "SHTF" or "grid down" scenario to learn to deal with and adjust my lifestyle. To prepare for the big change which could occur. To plan for and deal with the things I can, and think about what I can do for the things I cannot realistically prepare for.  To stock things which may become scare rapidly. To have available things which I cannot easily make.Tools, seeds, food, etc. To acquire knowledge that will help me prosper in a less technological society.

Nor does that belief preclude me from having a Bugout Bag (some call it an Oh-Shit!-Kit) handy if I need it.

But whatever you think, please, prepare. Prepare for what you think might happen. Prepare for the worst you can reasonably prepare for. Get out of debt (I am working on that part), get some knowledge, and get preps so if and when you have knowledge. But please, prep.

Remember: Darwin is brutal...and uncaring.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

What to do when the Euro fails:

Advice on what to buy in case of Eurozone Breakup: "precious metals, tinned goods, and small Calibre weapons"   (click here for link) (for some reason the link won't highlight, but it is worth the read)(I got  all of those already anyway)...do you?

All my retirement is already out of the Euro (as nearly so as to be total, anyway). I moved it to other sectors about 6 months ago. If you haven't done so yet, you might want to think about it. There is no safe haven anywhere, but you can minimize the damage to your portfolio by being elsewhere with your money. Yer still gonna take a hit of the Euro melts down, but a much lesser hit if you don't own any Euro investments. 

 Best is, of course, to buy gold, but it is harder to store and that scenario may not work if your money is tied up in a 401K or an IRA. But you can do a lot of good for yourself by careful placement of you money away from Europe and it's associated funds.

But if you haven't looked at your investments lately, you might want to think about it. You should be doing a review every 6 months anyway, but now might be a good time to review. 

YMMV.

Interesting

Patriot nurse.

Seems to know what she is talking about. Decide for yourself though. I have no idea what her credentials are. And I am likely not qualified to judge them anyway. But her videos do bring up some good points.

Found via THIS post.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Goodnight

Harry Morgan has passed. Aged 96

A varied career, but I will always remember him as Detective Bill Gannon from "Dragnet", and as Sherman Potter from "Mash". He appeared in many other films.

Infamy, as in a day that will...

yeah, Pearl  Harbor. 70 years ago.

Few who are alive today remember it.

But it remains the first time that the US took a black eye on our territory. And few realize that it was because our military failed to plan for it, and defend against it. Japan, in one swoop, became our enemy.

Yet today, Japan is our ally, or at least not currently an enemy.

Think about that. Seriously.

And say a prayer for those who gave their all this day so long ago.

Will we ever be at peace with our current enemy? Al Queda:  militant, radical Islam?

Perhaps, but only if we follow the Japanese example, and crush them before we re-make them. And only when we go all out to win, which we haven't yet done. They failed to "wake a sleeping giant". So far. So far we haven't gotten angry as the nation did after Pearl Harbor...and we haven't been serious about fighting.

Just a thought. Remember...

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Like Fast and Furious

Except with money.

Anything to help the Cartels.

And I still thinking that I am being discriminated against, as I still haven't gotten my free gun from the feds.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Product review: Optimus Crux cook kit

When we were reviewing Bugout Bags this month (which we do yearly, at a minimum) we realized that we had forgotten the old adage: "Two is one and one is none". Between us, there was only one cookstove.

While this might not be a terrible omission, having only one cookstove means that there might not be any hot water for the Mountain House meals which are packed in the BOB's (or coffee, or any other cooking), should the only stove we pack be damaged or have an issue....or if we get separated.

While I carry a Coleman Exponent, it is heavier than I wanted for Midwest Chick. Her bag (and, to be honest, mine is too) is at the upper limits of her ability to carry. So we spent a fair amount of time looking for a lightweight stove for her bag.

There are as many stoves for backpacking out there as there are accessories for a 1911 (ain't capitalism great?!?). There are one piece stoves, multi-piece stoves,  stoves which burn kerosene, white gas (Coleman fuel) multi-fuel (Coleman or unleaded gas), propane/butane,  and some that will burn any liquid fuel which you can light with a match.

One of the things we looked for was simplicity of use,  another was durability. While there are light, foldable stoves out there that use liquid fuels,such as the Dragonfly , they all  had some issues with durability...they needed a parts kit and extra o-rings in order to assure reliability in the field. Plus they were somewhat complicated to set up. There are specialized (and highly efficient) stoves just for boiling water like the Jetboil, but that is all they do. You can't really do anything but boil water, no cooking. There are old school stoves, such as the Svea, but they are somewhat complicated and lack the BTUs, and take a while to warm up and cool down. Complicated and unreliable do not meet our needs for a BOB stove. Neither does slow to warm up and low output, even though it is very high on the durability scale (but heavy).

We considered another Coleman Exponent, but while I am comfortable with the operation of this stove, and can operate it and light it with my eyes closed, to a beginner, this is a somewhat complicated and intimidating stove. Plus it is heavy, at 2.6 pounds fully fueled (but a tank of fuel will last over an hour and a half). And it doesn't have a small footprint. It has the advantage of reasonable durability and reliability, and high output, and will burn either Coleman fuel or unleaded gas, but low weight and simplicity are not part of its features.




We decided on an Optimus Crux Lite Weekend cookset. It weighs 9 OZ plus the 10 oz (8 OZ fuel) fuel bottle. This is a 10,000 BTU burner which sets up in seconds, is easy to assemble, heats a liter of water in 3 minutes (room temp in still air), and has a small footprint when packed. Burn time for the canister is 90+ minutes, which is 30 liters of water. And it comes with a cookset that is also its cover.



We tried it at home, and it really does heat a liter of water in less than 3 minutes. And it assembles and disassembles easily and said assembly is intuitive. It might need a windscreen, but that is the only addition I can see it needing.


While your  BOB contents are your personal choice, I'd recommend that you check out this stove.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Betrayers of their oath, traitors to their country, enemies of the people.

http://wearechangetv.us/2011/11/61-senators-betrayed-you-today-they-authorized-the-indefinite-suspension-of-habeus-corpus/#axzz1fJorYglQ


Ayotte (R-NH),Barrasso (R-WY),Blunt (R-MO),Boozman (R-AR),Brown (R-MA),Burr (R-NC),
Casey(D-PA),Chambliss(R-GA),Coats (R-IN),Coburn (R-OK),Cochran (R-MS),Collins (R-ME),
Conrad (D-ND),Corker (R-TN),Cornyn (R-TX),Crapo (R-ID),DeMint (R-SC),Enzi (R-WY),Graham (R-SC),
Grassley (R-IA),Hagan (D-NC),Hatch (R-UT),Heller (R-NV),Hoeven (R-ND),Hutchison (R-TX),
Inhofe (R-OK),Inouye (D-HI),Isakson (R-GA),Johanns (R-NE),Johnson (R-WI),Kohl (D-WI),
Kyl (R-AZ),Landrieu (D-LA),Lee (R-UT),Levin (D-MI),Lieberman (ID-CT),Lugar (R-IN),
Manchin (D-WV), McCain (R-AZ),McCaskill (D-MO),McConnell (R-KY),Menendez (D-NJ),
Moran (R-KS),Nelson (D-NE),Portman (R-OH),Pryor (D-AR),Reed (D-RI),Risch (R-ID),
Roberts (R-KS),Rubio (R-FL),Sessions (R-AL),Shaheen (D-NH),Shelby (R-AL),Snowe (R-ME),
Stabenow (D-MI), Thune (R-SD),Toomey (R-PA),Vitter (R-LA),Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wicker (R-MS)

Read more: http://wearechangetv.us/2011/11/61-senators-betrayed-you-today-they-authorized-the-indefinite-suspension-of-habeus-corpus/#ixzz1fJp7Bfeb


You know what the penalty for treason is, right?

12 of 13

How will you do? Take the test and find out!

( I confused Kagan and Sotomayor)...

still, that puts me in the 83rd percentile.

But look at the breakdowns by demographic. Scary. And these are just the people who bother to take the test. Likely the upper percentage of the intelligence curve to begin with.

Via Old NFO.

They say

That there is safety in numbers...


I thought about that, and realized that "they" were right.

My numbers are 1911 and .45 and 230....Plus 6+1 and 8


What are yours?

It occurs to me,

That my mothers fear: that when I piss off the right wrong people,

"someday you'll just disappear" may be closer now than it was yesterday.

Thanks Mr. McCain.

They passed the bill: S1867

Thus proving that the Senate is, actually, an enemy of the American way of life...Traitors to the people who they claim to represent.

Likely Obama will Veto it........ Maybe? We can hope.

The fact is that this bill effectively guts the basic Constitutional protections that each of us currently has.  And only ONE Republican dissenter. These people betrayed their oath that they took to "defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;". Sadly, they have become the enemies of the Constitution. And of the American people.

Ready to vote from the rooftops yet?  'Cause the Senate has decided that you can be arrested and held indefinitely by the military....Not the police, the military. No courts, no trial, nothing. The Senate has decided to attempt to destroy your country. They have decided you are a slave, not a citizen: Subject to arrest and unlimited detention, with no trial. Yes, they claim it is all for Al-Queda, but READ THE BILL. It specifically gives the military or others the right to waive the requirements, or designate "National Security" as a reason to hold anyone....And no trial ...With no definition of what those circumstances are. Will this be abused? I dunno. Could it be? Yes. Why open the door to circumvent the Constitution? Look, I am all for using every tool we have to detect, find, stop, and prosecute any terrorist. But not at the destruction of out way of life and the loss of the protections that the Constitution provides.


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

 Think about that.

I expect the left (Carl Levin) to push for such legislation.....But the right? Mr. McCain: where are the principles you claim to have? What, really, do you stand for?

Someone should charge McCain (and Levin, and anyone who voted for this clusterfuck) with treason (the evidence is right there in the minutes!), and when he is (they are) convicted, he should be hanged as a lesson to others. Perhaps we were better served by having Obama elected rather than McCain. Let us not forget that McCain was the pick of the Republican establishment for our leader only a few years ago. Were the Republicans real Americans and Conservatives, they'd disavow him and kick him out of the party. But they won't.

There is more to say, but I'll not cross the line here and become the first to find out if the new law will be implemented. I'd hate to be labelled an Enemy of the State.

But Mr. McCain: I wouldn't piss in your mouth if your teeth were on fire, you traitorous son of a bitch. You have written legislation which can be used to violate the rights of American citizens. You have undermined the Constitution.

And for that I cannot forgive you.