The Death of Common Sense: How Law Is Suffocating America
Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
Here’s the link to the second half of the survival thread, to download for yourself:
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/652475458/be891b8a5d0f78189f7ca1bfce72f8ef
The Gutenberg project rocks! You can download all great literature and convert it to Microsoft Reader format (which I totally love). If you have Word, the rest is free.
Great list, thanks. I’ve been ordering a little each month from www.mredepot.com. Steve is great and answers all my questions.
Granny, how long would a packet of seeds last? Do they have expiration dates?
When using older recipes sometimes it helps to have a reference to:
MEASURES AND WEIGHTS.
IN ORDINARY USE AMONG HOUSEKEEPERS.
4 Teaspoonfuls equal 1 tablespoonful liquid.
4 Tablespoonfuls equal 1 wine-glass, or half a gill.
2 Wine-glasses equal one gill or half a cup.
2 Gills equal 1 coffeecupful, or 16 tablespoonfuls.
2 Coffeecupfuls equal 1 pint.
2 Pints equal 1 quart.
4 Quarts equal 1 gallon.
2 Tablespoonfuls equal 1 ounce, liquid.
1 Tablespoonful of salt equals 1 ounce.
16 Ounces equal 1 pound, or a pint of liquid.
4 Coffeecupfuls of sifted flour equal 1 pound.
1 Quart of unsifted flour equals 1 pound.
8 or 10 ordinary sized eggs equal 1 pound.
1 Pint of sugar equals 1 pound. (White granulated.)
2 Coffeecupfuls of powdered sugar equal 1 pound.
1 Coffeecupful of cold butter, pressed down, is one-half pound.
1 Tablespoonful of soft butter, well rounded, equals 1 ounce.
An ordinary tumblerful equals 1 coffeecupful, or half a pint.
About 25 drops of any thin liquid will fill a common sized teaspoon.
1 Pint of finely chopped meat, packed solidly, equals 1 pound.
These cookies sound a little like the mashed potato cookies we used to make at Vacation Bible School when I was little.
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/02/09/environment/859desal020809.txt
Why Desalination Got Famous
By ROB DAVIS
Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009
The proposed Carlsbad desalination plant’s timing is perfect. With California’s water supplies crimped and cuts on the way, the idea of a new water source in San Diego is making politicians salivate.
The seawater desalination plant proposed by Poseidon Resources Corp. is advertised as being able to tap into the Pacific Ocean, a drought-proof supply. Now the state sits in a drought. And with the project’s permitting nearly finished, state leaders are lining up in support — from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to Linda Adams, the state’s environmental protection secretary.
The desalination plant would be located adjacent to the Encina Power Station in Carlsbad.
Their message to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, the last agency to withhold needed permits: Enough already. Stop slowing down construction.
So the regional board, the local water pollution regulator, is being assailed from both proponents and opponents of the project. Environmental groups have sued the regional board for giving conditional approval to the desalination plant. And state leaders are flexing their political muscles, urging the board to go all the way.
“The political interest in this item is huge,” said John Robertus, the regional board’s executive officer. “And every day it doesn’t rain, it goes up a notch.”
The regional board in 2006 granted a necessary permit to Poseidon, which will allow it to discharge into the Pacific. But it came with conditions, including developing a specific plan for mitigating the plant’s impact on marine life. The agency’s staff proposes to continue withholding approval until Poseidon refines its mitigation plans. The discussion is scheduled Wednesday. Asked whether the agency is feeling political pressure, Robertus said: “Certainly. Water is about politics.”
The ‘God of the Sea’ Looks for Greener Pastures (April 7, 2008)
Poseidon’s Mitigation Plan
The desalination plant has always had the region’s attention. But with mandatory water-use restrictions likely coming to Southern California this summer, the project has grabbed the attention of the governor and other state officials. The plant, which could begin operating in December 2011 at the earliest, would boost San Diego’s supply 10 percent. The project will set the precedent for other desalination efforts.
At least one will follow on the Carlsbad plant’s heels. Poseidon, a private Connecticut-based company, is seeking permits for a plant in Huntington Beach. But Carlsbad’s challenges were greater, and so it has pushed that project first. The regulatory examples set there will be followed in Huntington Beach and in any other seawater desalination plants.
“As goes Carlsbad, so goes the rest of the coast,” Robertus said. “This is a contentious issue. And it’s going to get more intense as we get closer to the date when they begin to pump water.”
At the center of the current debate is Poseidon’s plan to mitigate the plant’s impacts on marine life. It will suck in 304 million gallons of seawater daily and turn 50 million gallons into drinking water. The filtered-out salt will be diluted with the remaining 254 million gallons and sent back to the ocean.
The pumps that draw in that water will kill about two pounds of fish each day. (Poseidon says this is less than the daily consumption of an adult brown pelican). They’ll also squash 11 million to 16 million fish larvae daily — four billion to five billion annually.
State regulators are requiring Poseidon to mitigate that damage by restoring 37 acres of wetlands. The company estimates it would cost $10 million wherever it decides to repair damaged habitat and build a functioning ecosystem.
This hang-up has everyone’s attention. The regional board wants Poseidon to pick a specific site. Poseidon has identified 11 and says it will decide on a specific location later. Five are in San Diego County: the Tijuana River Valley, San Elijo Lagoon, San Dieguito River Valley, Agua Hedionda Lagoon and Buena Vista Lagoon. Others are in Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
The company says picking a site now would require a lengthy environmental review and delay the plant’s construction. The company promises to choose a site and finish mitigation before the plant begins operating, Poseidon spokesman Scott Maloni said.
The environmental groups that have sued say Poseidon has the process backward. The company should not be able to get approval for building its project, they say, before completely identifying its mitigation plans.
“It’s not responsible for the agencies to approve a project without these questions being answered,” said Gabriel Solmer, legal director for San Diego Coastkeeper. “Just because Poseidon has said ‘We’ll do whatever it takes and we’ll find a place to do mitigation,’ that shouldn’t be sufficient. You should know where the mitigation is going to occur.”
As that debate continues, state leaders are interjecting. The regional board has received letters urging approval from Schwarzenegger; Linda Adams; Mike Chrisman, the natural resources secretary; and A.G. Kawamura, the food and agriculture secretary. Donald Koch, director of the state Department of Fish and Game, wrote that mitigation plans were sufficient.
The letters sounds similar and say Poseidon’s plans do enough. Schwarzenegger wrote:
The situation in San Diego, a county nearly 90 percent reliant on imported water from northern California and the Colorado River, is equally dire. Last week, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders announced the high probability that the city will need to start rationing water July 1.
Adams said nearly the same thing:
San Diego is particularly vulnerable to drought conditions because it imports close to 90% of its water. ... Last week Mayor Sanders announced the high probability that San Diego will face water rationing by July.
Same with Chrisman:
San Diego is particularly vulnerable to drought conditions because it imports approximately 90 percent of its water supply.
Poseidon, which has spent $172,000 on lobbying in Sacramento since 2007, doesn’t appear to have made financial donations to any of Schwarzenegger’s pet causes to get the governor’s attention.
“I’m waiting for that ask,” Maloni said. “I’m sure we’ll get that.”
Instead, it appears the state’s drought is the driving force.
Yummy!!
I have used cast iron (BIG skillets) on my ceramic top for a few years now. You have to be very careful not to drop or drag it across. I have a gouge in one burner from a spur sticking out from an iron pan that somebody moved without picking up off the glass.
I have also used a boiling water canner for years. I just bought a Presto brand pressure canner that is due to arrive today. It is the only one recommended for smooth top ranges. It is a bit lighter and very flat bottomed to maintain contact with the burner.
I have a 10 year old Kitchen Aid, and it’s held up well.
“And He walks with me, and He talks with me and He tells me I am his own.” Oh dear, the tears again.
Don’t get me started on men’s treasures. Hubby has a 30 by 40 pole barn jammed full-a one man shingle mill, used only a few weeks to make enough shingles to shingle one of our homes, can’t sell it, might need it again-makes for mighty expensive shingles, unused for 25 years and at 80 years old, do you think he will ever get it running again? A 1948 Army Jeep that he is restoring when he has a few minutes (seldom) likewise a 1967 Volkswagon, 6 old kitchen cookstoves (we do have the only one he finished here in the house and I love it), several ancient steam engines, some running and some not, four old tractors (usually at least one of them is running) and his beloved bucket loader which is awaiting a gasket. Did I mention that it is my job to find parts for these old items on the internet?
Also, it is my job to tow him around and around (the back forty) while he tries to start some of these vehicles all the while hollering, “go faster-slow down.” I hate to hear him ask, “have you got a minute?” That usually means that momentarily I will be under some piece of equipment, holding a wrench or vicegrips while he tries to loosen a stubborn, rusty bolt. Never a dull moment in our ancient lives. Between all these projects, he has his coin collection, his gun collection and his fly-tying hobby. Is it any wonder we are dirt poor but rich in friends?
I tell him that if he dies before me, I am scheduling a big auction the day after his funeral.
Goobermint bureaucrats slay me....
After 5 years of ‘added requirements’ and ‘public meetings’ and ‘environmental studies’ and ‘EPA assessments’ last December our State finally approved a 220 tower offshore windfarm.
Bluewater Industries - had been bled dry... forced into contracts and timetables... Last week the parent company (Australian) had to file for bankruptcy. All their capital was swallowed by the greedy - nothing left to build the project. It is now kaput!
I think that is spelled D - O - O - M - E - D ! Just like I fear our whole world is... Well guess we need some Alfred E. Newman wisdom ... ‘What, ME Worry!!’
The Death of Common Sense: How Law Is Suffocating America
Oh boy... Now you don't truly expect to get sympathy from one who's first vehicle was a 1947 Willys Jeep. - complete with a hydraulic 3 pt. hitch for the back, and winch on front do you. Also who owns a Wrangler now and wife has a Liberty. LOL
Just think, those hungry masses who could show up at your door for food when the economy hits rock bottom, could be put to work making shingles for trade items in exchange for the food you give them.
Dear, please consider the alternatives - he could have been a Wall St. type and been dead of a heart attack at 50... With always having a purpose (or many purposes) and many dreams, there is reason to get up tomorrow. I have seen many a young person who put 20 to 25 years in the military, retired and then just pined away in a couple of years. No purpose left to keep them going. Count your blessings for they are many. You are needed to hold that wrench - It can be a loving bond... Enjoy it! Many a widow would swap with you in a heartbeat!
I would give my eye teeth for one of those steam engines.
Also, it is my job to tow him around and around (the back forty) while he tries to start some of these vehicles
ROFL You mean you keep him on a tether? Draggin him all over the place.... (sorry - but couldn't resist that)
I always associate Red Wine with Dark Chocolate. Does that help? LOL!
Good for you! Did I give you this link? Very helpful.
http://www.ryomagazine.com/july/review.htm
When seeds are really tiny, it usually means they need light for germination, so just press the seeds lightly into moistened soil; not too deep, if you’re going to start them indoors.
Great, I am glad to see you here!
From FerFAL:
http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2009/02/spanish-urban-survival-blog.html
Spanish Urban Survival blog
I just created one due to the amount of traffic from Spanish speaking countries:
“Supervivinte Urbano”
“Superviviente Urbano”, which means “urban survivalist” only got 526 links in google. Lets hope that changes and survivalism as general attitude to face life spreads among my fellow Spanish speaking brothers. :)
I don’t expect the kind of traffic we have here. But I still want to help “spread the word” and get on board as many as I can.
The amount of posts there will depend mostly on the interest people show.
So if you are a Spanish speaking person please drop by and post a comment. Make questions, comments, letters or posts in Spanish you’d like to write and share with others, I’ll post them in the main board. Also share it with your Spanish speaking friends that can’t read this blog.
Thanks everyone, take care.
I especially like this company, Heirloom seeds. They only sell non-hybrid seeds so you can save for future use. I ordered around the first of the year yet it took about 6 weeks to get here, they are a small company and very busy right now. Just got them last night, very excited. Oh and they threw in 3 free packets of seeds so that was an unexpected bonus. Yes, they were deliberately put in there, it says “free seed”. They gave me some Bibb lettuce, iriquois melon and straightneck squash.
Another item I got from them was an medicinal garden assortment. They send you the seeds, along with a booklet that tells you what tinctures, infusions, etc to make with not only the seeds they sent but a bunch of other plants.
In addition to selling seed as a reasonable price, they have “sealed packets” which are a tad more expensive but guaranteed to save for at least 3 years.
Here is the medicinal herb package.
http://www.heirloomseeds.com/herb2.htm
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