Thread: BASIC LIST / SUGGESTED ITEMS FOR LONG TERM SURVIVAL

Estrella Family Creamery

FDA and global elites are destroying food supply and farms

- Dr. Laurie Roth Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Call it what you will. I call it old fashioned evil and communism. The FDA and other controlling organizations are on a roll to create invented crisis, hiding behind contrived safety issues with our farmers and food supply. The bottom line is most clear. The Marxist-Communists in control, Obama and his handlers want to control what we eat, when we eat, what we grow and how we grow it.

I have covered many times on my national radio show, the Agenda 21 push,and sustainability bull rot they are forcing down our kids throats in school. Increased regulations, taxation and imposed laws have required our competent and well meaning farmers to practically slit their own throats. The FDA has been pulling continued, safety issues out of their ‘Rules for Radicals’ play book and shredding our farms and food supply.

Just a few of the untold cases of frivolous assault and control on our farmers:

A few months ago I was the EMCEE and spoke at a conference, which covered the manipulation, funding and dramatic push forward or Agenda 21 and sustainability. While there I met Anthony and Kelli Estrella who own and run the Estrella Family Creamery. They make cheese and have for many years without such a thing as a health concern or incident. In fact their many varieties of cheese have long been the favorite of countless people. Just one of their many happy clients stated:

“I took Kelli Estrella’s cheeses to my James Beard Dinner in New York and the Big Apple will never be the same. Her cheeses were the talk of the evening. She represents the top level of small artisan producers of Washington State like no other. I’m proud to be a representative of her craft.”

Awards received in 2010

American Cheese Society awards:

• Weebles: First in class (Smoked Italian styles)
• Caldwell Crik Chevrett: First in class (Sheep’s or Mixed Milks)
• Jalapeno Buttery: Second prize (Flavored Peppers)

If you go to Estrellafamilycreamery.com you will see countless awards from 2006 onward until 2011. The only reason they weren’t given awards this year is because the FDA shut them down due to the contrived issue Kelli described to me on my show of them using wood shelves that long had been safe. The FDA agent hammered the Estrellas over their use of the wood shelves yet these wood shelves were recommended to them by the #1 affineur in all of France, Herve Mons.

The Estrellas also pointed out that in fact, there is considerable evidence that wooden shelves actually inhibit Listeria. Although Kelli said in one small area there was one small speck of Listeria found well below any danger level. Their business has now been shut down over 1 year as a result of FDA action. The shocking thing is that the Estrellas tried to do everything the FDA said. They brought in some of the very top experts in the country, were willing to implement anything they suggested and racked up $30,000 in legal expenses just trying to work with the FDA. It was to no avail. They then appealed to elected officials and many organizations for help. Their reward was the FDA just placed more barriers to their re-entry into the market. They made it simply impossible. Now, along with incredible suffering they are having to sell off their cows.

These controlling and intrusive actions are happening all across the country against organic food co-ops and dairy farmers. The FDA has threatened Amish dairy farmers and threatened other raw milk producers. What was Communist Russia is now starting to look ‘award winning’ compared to how we treat our people.

Other farmers are labeled as criminals. Michael Schmidt of Ontario is one labeled now as a criminal. He is on a hunger strike at day 33 now. He has operated a small dairy farm for 33 years, providing raw milk to locals by way of his cow-share operation. Once again, his milk has never made anyone sick. Even so, for 17 years he has lived with a constant battle with the authorities over his right to sell milk to the locals. Again, no one has ever gotten sick from his milk. He quotes from the FDAs own site:

• “There is no absolute right to consume or feed children any particular food.”(p.25)
• “There is no ‘deeply rooted’ historical tradition of unfettered access to foods of all kinds.(p.25)
• “Plaintiff’s assertion of a fundamental right to their own bodily and physical health, which includes what foods they do and do not choose to consume for themselves and their families is similarly unavailing because plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to obtain any food they wish.” (p.26)
• “There is no fundamental right to freedom of contract.”(p.27)

So, are the officials in Canada going to let Michael die or give him his right and freedoms back? We shall see.

Kelli Estrella chillingly reminded me that the FDA’s stated goal is to have all raw Dairy banned everywhere by 2020. Apparently it was not enough that the Estrella farm was completely shut down a year ago, but the FDA is still harassing and threatening them even after ruining their business. It’s almost funny in a twisted way if it wasn’t so maddening. The FDA told them they could eat their own cheese but are issuing more violations against them because they fed some of it to their pigs. You can’t make this stuff up in a B movie from hell.

I have news for the FDA, Obama and other global control networks, we do have the right to grow and eat what we want. We do have the right to own property and not be told what or how to grow things. The destruction of Dairy farmers and food providers is criminal and evil. Rise up, pray and stand for the Estrellas Estrellafamilycreamery.com and Michael Schmidt of Ontario Farmtoconsumer.org. You may be next.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index...e/41957?mid=51

After The Collapse - Who Will Your Neighbors Be?

Brandon Smith
November 4th, 2011
http://alt-market.com
63 Comments

This article has been contributed by Brandom Smith of Alt Market, an organization that facilitates networking, local community action, and the exchange of knowledge and ideas and promotes decentralization, localism, and the de-globalization of human economic systems.


Dr. William Stockton celebrates yet another birthday surrounded by family and friends in the midst of a grand suburban paradise. The party is warm, and the evening is filled with joy and merriment. These people singing his praises, laughing and imbibing generous amounts of spirits, are neighbors he’s known for over 20 years. He understands them well, or at least, he thinks he does…

The good doctor, as his neighbors often point out with a jabbing chuckle, is a prepper; a brand of survivalist who participates in the day to day routine of mundane American life while using his spare time to safeguard against unforeseen disaster. His friends view this behavior as an amusing curiosity, an eccentric hobby, but none take it nearly as seriously as William does. It’s not that he is paranoid; far from it. In fact, William Stockton is a professional, a man of sense, and a man of family. He merely lives in an era of great potential danger, where nuclear war and societal collapse are anything but fantasy. Stockton takes these issues into account as an individual, and acts according to the severity of his environment. Much more than his neighbors, he represents legitimate rationality.

Unfortunately for the doctor, and for those who live around him, the days of wine and frosted cake are about to abruptly end as a Civil Defense emergency bulletin blares over the wire. The reality that today’s comforts could disappear in the blink of an eye sets into the minds of the frightened listeners. And soon, we begin to witness the TRUE character of those William once held dear.

This scenario might sound like a familiar consideration to many of us, but for now it remains the stuff of nighttime TV. So begins a rather prophetic and ingenious episode of The Twilight Zone entitled “The Shelter”…

The fascinating thing about “The Shelter” is that it is one of the few short stories showcased in The Twilight Zone (a science fiction program) which hasn’t a single element of science fiction within it. “The Shelter” is terrifying exactly because it is NOT a product of wild imagination, but a representation of social fact that cuts to the calcium rich bone of our culture, even 50 years after it aired on television.

The cold hard truth is, much of our country is completely unprepared for a crisis of any considerable proportion. While the 1950’s and 1960’s held the specter of immediate full scale nuclear war, and thus a highly persuasive incentive for preparedness, the new millennium has hardly been anything to sneeze at. Economic collapse is just as destructive to a nation as an atomic bomb, if not more so. The likelihood of social unrest and the long term implosion of our financial system is greater today than it has been in any other era of American history. So much so that even our currency may evaporate along with our standard of living. Those who prep today are acting in as much a logical fashion as those who built shelters during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The knee jerk conclusion here by skeptics of the prepper lifestyle will be that the bunker owning citizens of the “red scare” days wasted their time. That obviously, there was no nuclear holocaust, and all their careful planning was for naught. Or why not bring up the media generated hysteria of Y2K, which played on the public’s utter lack of general knowledge concerning computers and U.S. infrastructure to inspire a widespread prepping panic?

Did that farce not prove the absurdity of the survivalist mentality?

The answer is no, not really…

The eventuality of collapse is not the issue. Though America today has zero room to maneuver as far as inflationary printing and debt based spending are concerned, and economic instability is inevitable according to the fundamentals regardless of any practical or impractical political measures that could be introduced, the crisis is not our focus. Our focus is, and always has been, independence and self reliance regardless of the circumstances. Through national prosperity, or national pain, the key to survival is to never make assumptions. To never count on your environment to remain hospitable. To keep catastrophe in mind, even if others around you do not.

One vital aspect of survival that often goes unaccounted for by even the most astute preppers, however, is the issue of community. When the last vestiges of normal society crumble, will you be surrounded by friends, or foes? The difference is not always apparent, as Rod Serling noted in the brilliant episode of the Twilight Zone above. The question then arises; how do we know who to work with, who to trust, and when to keep our mouths shut? When the going gets brutal, who will have the guts to stand firm, who will run, and who will stab us right in the back if they get the chance?

Being a prepper for some years myself, and working with a myriad of character types, I have found that certain personality signals and quirks should be addressed in those who live around you, or those you plan to associate with. Certain kinds of people can be pure poison for any survivalist or any organization striving for practical solutions to collapse. Look at your neighbors and your associates carefully and with some objectivity. Do they fit any of the below profiles a little too well…?

The Lemming
This person lives life to the fullest, which by their definition essentially means working 9 to 5 in a job they despise with co-employees they hate, going home to watch reruns of The Apprentice while drinking away the pain of inadequacy, and bathing in the warm oily coconut butter glow of mainstream news before sinking into their soft feather bed of political ineptitude and dreaming sensible dreams of cult-like consumerist mayhem.
This kind of neighbor will likely freak at even the most non-invasive philosophies. Mention of voting for third party candidates (or Ron Paul) draws googly eyed expressions of disbelief, as if you just broke wind at their dinner table. Conversations of possible economic collapse inspire in them reactions of either complete dismissal along with skeptical cackling, or shrugged shoulders and passive solutions. They buy into anyone who happens to be in a position of petty authority, and would jump into a septic tank filled with rusty nails if someone in an expensive suit or a white coat told them to.

In a post collapse situation, this person will immediately look around for the first truck he can find filled with FEMA goodies. If he finds no government handouts are coming and that he is on his own, he will transform from a lackadaisical and humorously obscure human being into a rabid ax wielding (yet still humorously obscure) murdering food stealing two legged weasel. You do NOT want this person knowing who you are and living within 100 miles of you during a time of instability. They WILL show up at your doorstep…

Commonly spoken phrases include:
“I just want to have fun and not worry about stuff like that…”
“If we stay positive, it will all blow over…”
“That could NEVER happen in this country…”

The Rambo-Lite
A real badass…in his own mind. Unfortunately, not all activists make good neighbors for the well grounded prepper. This “survivalist” is all talk and no action. All bark and no bite. His training methods consist solely of You Tube videos, shopping expeditions to Cabelas, and a trip to the shooting range once every three months. He talks a good game, and may lure you into a cooperative agreement by regaling you with his ability to memorize information from Gun Digest, but when the full fury of a financial firestorm is unleashed, he will let you down in the worst way.

Rambo-Lite is like most men, in that he seeks opportunities to prove himself, and to one day, he hopes, be looked upon as a kind of hero. There is nothing wrong with this. However, being usually overweight or out of shape, our little friend is too lazy to pursue the skills necessary to fulfill such a destiny. On top of this, he often has extremely overblown delusions of grandeur, and feels no need to heighten his knowledge. Why train when you already know everything? He is the kind of prepper that makes real preppers look bad.

Rambo-Lite has all kinds of gear, all kinds of advice, but will whine through the night during a cold winter march, never stay on task, never listen to the sage wisdom of those more experienced, and run at the first sign of substantial danger. Ultimately, he is an obstacle, not a comrade. When looking for neighbors who will provide mutual support in hard times, look elsewhere…

Commonly spoken phrases include:
“I don’t care about any of that! I just want to shoot blue helmets!”
“All I need is my hunting rifle and my bowie knife…”
“I don’t need to store food. I’ll just take other people’s…”
“I used to be a navy-seal-air-force-ranger-marine-scout-sniper-jiu-jitsu-master…”

The Cynic On Steroids
As if things aren’t bad enough, some people have to make them worse by constantly pointing out how unavoidably “doomed” we all are, and that the act of survival is in itself a waste of energy. This neighbor is quite aware of the scale of the dangers we face down the road as a culture, but instead of taking proactive measures to prepare and to help others around him, he does nothing, and revels in the thought of widespread destruction. The warped dynamic of the modern American lifestyle has not been kind to this person. Of course, it has not been kind to most of us. Our Cynic reverts to a childish methodology of nihilism because he believes he has somehow been dealt a worse hand than anyone else, and the only thing that will satisfy him would be a hailstorm of napalm across the face of the planet.

Rarely leaves his home to organize with other activists, but when he does, the urge for most people to sink a fist into his scowling face is almost irresistible.

As excited as this guy is to see the world burn, he is actually very afraid of dying. Strangely, like most eugenicists, or members of PETA, in his darkest fantasies, he imagines a future in which nearly everyone meets a horrible gurgling end except himself. Unscathed by the genocide, he skips along his merry way in lush fields of dandelions and bunnies to meet the celebrity woman of his dreams (or any woman who will feel forced to settle because there are so few men left alive).

It goes without saying, this neighbor is not going to be of much service to anyone. Confronted with very real doom (namely his own), and realizing that his dreamworld musings of a day when he will have the Earth to himself are not going to come true, he will blame the closest and most successful preppers around him for his misfortunes. He won’t ask for food, and he won’t try to take it by force either. Instead, he’ll turn you in to the authorities (if there are any left), or, he’ll attempt to snatch away what he can from those people weaker than him (if there are any left).

Commonly spoken phrases include:
“We’re all going to die anyway…”
“They have tanks and predator drones! You’ll be wiped off the map!”
“No woman is smart enough to understand me…”

The Snoop
Ah yes, my favorite! Every neighborhood in America has one of these dastardly specimens. Every apartment building, every city block, every gated community. The Snoop is like the Lemming in that they almost pride themselves on their unwillingness to listen to reason or consider facts, but the Snoop takes this one step further. Not only will you find them sneering at those of us who express independent or anti-establishment views, but they will also go out of their way to bring trigger happy SWAT teams to our doorsteps. These are the people who actually call Janet Napolitano’s “See Something, Say Something” hotline thinking they are good samaritans.
The Snoop has been the mainstay of every tyrannical government of the last century, from Mussolini’s Italy, to Franco’s Spain, Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s Russia, Mao’s China, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, etc. Today, the Snoop is being tapped by the DHS and the Obama Administration as a resource once again within the borders of America itself.

Snoops fancy themselves amateur detectives. They will ask odd probing questions that seem out of place in regular conversation. They will form superficial friendships that feel even more fake than many neighborhood relations tend to. Disapproval of your politics will be met not with arguments, but with silence, and increasing distance. Snoops reveal themselves through their addiction to gossip. Eventually, you will discover from other neighbors that they slander you constantly behind your back.

Under normal circumstances, this is something to be laughed at and ignored.

But, post collapse, it is something to be very concerned about. Snoops aren’t looking for advantage, like the Cynic. They are looking for vindication, and approval. They desperately want to be a part of a collective, and revile anyone who displays outward individualism. If turning you in, or organizing others against you, will bring them a pat on the head, they will do it.

The Snoop is a coward, and will never confront you directly. But, he or she will try to use the force of the state or the community against you if you offend their twisted world view.

Commonly spoken phrases include:
“We really need to keep our eyes open for terrorists…”
“I hear the terrorists are using white people at bus stations now…”
“Liberty Movement? Isn’t that one of those homegrown terrorist groups?”

The Idle Enthusiast
Some people are absolutely gung-ho about supporting activist projects or organizing for mutual aid, until the situation requires patience and effort.

Then, they disappear from the scene, never to be heard from again. Most movements, especially grassroots movements, are rife with this behavior. Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon after its moving at full speed; they don’t want to have to push it uphill. The same goes for prepping...

Getting the Idle Enthusiast excited about the prospect of community growth and survival training is not difficult. Getting him to show up to provide needed assistance is another matter. Without fail, this character will make numerous offers to carry a mission forward, and will fail to follow through on almost every single occasion. After a while, you find yourself astonished when they accomplish ANYTHING, no matter how small the task.

Their prepping list is always half finished, their training is always half finished, and their promises are always half finished. The strain of asking them to apply even the most remedial effort becomes so painful that you’ll begin entertaining thoughts of violent pillow smothering and strangulation.
The Idle Enthusiast is the kind of neighbor who will volunteer for the most arduous projects. At first, they’ll leave you pleasantly surprised, and then, they’ll leave you hanging.

Commonly spoken phrases include:
“Don’t worry bro, I got this…”
“I’ll have that done in no time…”
“Oh man, I totally got sidetracked…”

The smart prepper understands well that going it alone is not an option, at least not for the long term. Thus, we are required to build relationships with those who live near us. If we cannot find enough like-minded souls in our immediate vicinity, then we must relocate to a place where this process is more viable (at least, if we want to survive). Staying put, wrapped in a web of tract homes or city dwellings filled with dangerously unaware and unprepared people is not an intelligent post collapse strategy. Retreat planning without proper group support and indigenous support is not only a logistical nightmare but a surefire avenue to discomfort of the terminal variety.

Think carefully about the kinds of people you want to have around you in the wake of disaster, and the community you plan to participate in after the smoke has cleared. The decisions you make now may be the kind you are stuck with for quite some time through events that will test your endurance and your very spirit. The more friendships we forge today with those who are prepared not just in supply, but in mind, the safer we will all be tomorrow.

The company we keep in the days ahead is not a factor to be taken lightly…

http://www.alt-market.com/articles/3...r-neighbors-be

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

(Just Sounded Good)



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Caramel Apple Cupcakes



Katherine Kallinis and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne

Family Adventure & Survival Trailer Units Setup and Teardown

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko78M8UIvuM



Nov 2, 2011

F.A.S.T. Units (Family Adventure & Survival Trailer) complete setup and teardown.

FAST Units are

- Fully self contained camping and evacuation units
- Supports a family of four for 3-5 days
Includes shelter, food, water, heat and emergency supplies
- Has a self contained sanitation system
- Lightweight and easy to tow
- Affordable and convenient

Not Available to Americans: New Gold Investment Vehicle Introduced By Royal Canadian Mint



Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
The Royal Canadian Mint has announced that it is making an initial public offering of exchange-traded receipts (ETRs) under the mint’s new Canadian Gold Reserves program. Unlike other gold investment products currently available which only enable the purchaser to own a unit or share in an entity that owns the gold, the ETRs will enable the purchaser to actually own the physical gold bullion which will be held in the custody of the mint at its facilities in Ottawa, Ontario. Unfortunately, the ETRs have not, and will not, be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and, as such, may not be offered or sold in the U.S.

So says The Royal Canadian Mint (www.mint.ca) in a release* which Lorimer Wilson, editor of www.munKNEE.com (Your Key to Making Money!), has further edited ([ ]), abridged (…) and reformatted below for the sake of clarity and brevity to ensure a fast and easy read. The author’s views and conclusions are unaltered and no personal comments have been included to maintain the integrity of the original article. Please note that this paragraph must be included in any article re-posting to avoid copyright infringement.

Says Ian E. Bennett, president and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint:

We believe that this new program will build on our reputation and continued success as a world-class custodian of precious metals. With the introduction of the Canadian Gold Reserves ETR program we hope that investors will see this as a convenient, efficient, and secure method for investing in and owning physical gold.

The net proceeds of the offering will be used to purchase gold on behalf of the initial purchasers of ETRs at the London p.m. fix price on the closing date of the offering which is expected to occur in late November 2011 . Subject to certain restrictions, ETR holders will be entitled to redeem their ETRs for physical gold products in the form of 99.99 per cent pure gold bars or coins, or for cash based on the future gold price or market price of the ETRs.

Subject to market conditions, the initial offering of ETRs is targeting an issue size of approximately C$250 million. The issue price per ETR will be C$20 or the U.S. dollar equivalent and the Per ETR Entitlement to Gold will be determined on the closing date and will be reduced daily by an annual service fee of 0.35 per cent.

Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, the ETRs will be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and commence trading on the closing date. ETRs will be listed in both Canadian and U.S. dollars and may be traded in either currency.

Through a competitive process, the Mint has selected a syndicate of investment dealers led by TD Securities Inc. and National Bank Financial Inc., and including BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., CIBC World Markets Inc., RBC Dominion Securities Inc., Canaccord Genuity Corp., Cormark Securities Inc., MGI Securities Inc., and Raymond James Ltd. to distribute the ETRs on a best efforts agency basis. The offering is being made on a prospectus-exempt basis pursuant to the terms of an order of the Ontario Securities Commission dated August 30, 2011.

This media release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Note: An investment in the ETRs involves a degree of risk. These risks result primarily from fluctuations in the price of gold. A detailed description of these risks and other important information about the ETRs and the Canadian Gold Reserves ETR program is contained in the Information Statement. A prospective investor in ETRs should review and carefully consider the risks described in the Information Statement, a copy of which may be obtained in reasonable quantities by contacting TD Securities Inc.. ETR holders will have no recourse to the Mint or the Government of Canada for any loss on their investment.

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified company, the mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale.


http://www.munknee.com/2011/11/not-avai ... dian-mint/

Creating Water Out Of Nothing

November 7, 2011 by David Morris
One way to conserve water is to stop watering your lawn.

Water is one of the most important things you need to consider in a survival situation. I want to share a few thoughts I have on things that can be done on a city or regional level to increase the amount of water that’s available in drought situations. These are measures that can be taken both now and in a grid-down survival situation.

First, plug leaks. The effect of plumbing leaks is incredible. In Austin, Texas, a plumbing company is offering to replace up to 1,000 leaky toilet flappers for free. At a water savings of 10 to 100 gallons per toilet per day, this amounts to a savings of somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 gallons per month. Some places may be able to absorb that kind of waste, but Austin is in what many consider to be the 11^th year of a drought that is expected to last at least another year. This is enough water to provide a gallon per day to between 10,000 and 100,000 people, so it’s potentially serious business.
Second, remove cedars. Another Texas water creation story comes from ranches in the Hill Country of Texas. Several years ago, a friend of mine would buy up ranches that had lots of juniper trees (mountain cedar) and seasonal springs. He would then clear out all of the cedars, which would increase water flow considerably and in many cases cause the springs to become year-round springs. Then, he would sell them for a profit, since land with running water is generally worth more than land with a dry creek bed.

The last paragraph will surely bring up a lot of debate. Getting rid of cedar trees was shown to free up 35,000 gallons of water per year per acre in one Central Texas study referenced here (I am unable to find the original study). The issue that complicates the whole matter is that while cedar trees use up to 33 gallons per tree per day, they don’t use up that much more than other plants and the water “savings” remain in effect only as long as the cedars aren’t replaced by high-demand grasses or other trees.

Regardless, I do see situations where people sitting on 10 to 40 acres and a seasonal spring may want to clear out cedar to increase available groundwater — even if it’s only for a few years to fill a tank or get through a rough patch.

Third, don’t water your lawn. I’m always amazed when I have lived in or visited arid high mountain desert communities at the amount of grass that people have planted and how green it is. It’s not uncommon for people with .2-acre yards to use 15,000 to 30,000 gallons of water per month to keep their lawns looking green in these regions. In areas where the primary grasses die after a week or two without water (instead of going dormant), it becomes a choice between two evils during extended droughts: Spend money on water or spend money on replacing your lawn.

This is why, in many cities across the country, people are turning to rock gardens, wood chip gardens, xeriscaping and planting edible, native, drought-resistant plants in their yards. In some cases, people are making the change because they want to conserve water. In other cases, they have decided that it’s too much hassle trying to make grass grow and stay green when nature seems to have other plans. Still, in other cases, it’s because droughts have caused watering restrictions and dead lawns, and people want to “plant” rocks once rather than spending so much time and money on grass.

What are your thoughts on water and strategies to make more water available for drinking and irrigation? What about gray water recycling? Any thoughts on legislating water conservation vs. personal liberty? Where does my right to spend as much as I want on water intersect with other people wanting water to drink? Are stepped-up prices the answer (the more you use, the more you pay per gallon) or something else? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

As an aside, we changed our clocks this weekend. In addition to using the weekend to change clocks and change batteries in our smoke and CO detectors, we also used it as a time to make sure that our preparedness items are in good shape and make the appropriate changes for the seasons.
Here’s a list of some of the things that we did:

1. Put backup cold-weather clothes in our cars.
2. Made sure that supplies that we think are in our cars are actually in our cars. (I have a habit of wearing shorts and sandals in the summer, grabbing shoes and socks out of the car when we’re away from home and I need them and forgetting to replace them. We have the same habit with backup clothes for the boys and snacks for the boys.)
3. Cycled out all food that was in our cars over the summer and eat or donate it.
4. Checked the batteries in our 72-hour kits and go bags.
5. Checked medical kits. Replaced expired items, items with compromised packaging and items that we used over the past six months.
6. Bought another box of fresh daily carry ammo and shoot the stuff I’ve been carrying.
7. Replaced CR123A Lithium batteries in my daily use lights.
8. Recharged or replaced desiccant in our gun safe.
9. Confirmed that all guns were cleaned and oiled.
10. Did a quick inventory of our pantry to make sure we hadn’t used up stuff without replacing it.
11. Confirmed that go bags and camping backpacks hadn’t been looted during outings.
12. Evaluated goals from the past six months.
13. Made goals for the next six months.
14. Took pictures of or scanned any new critical documents, encrypted them and added them to our thumb drives in our Get Out Of Dodge bags.
15. Evaluated our current state of preparedness in light of what we’ve learned over the past six months and/or what happened to be at the top of our minds at the time.
16. Rotated and stabilized our fuel storage.

Did you do something similar?

–David Morris

http://www.personalliberty.com/survi...ut-of-nothing/

Drug Company To Pay $3 Billion Settlement For Bogus Marketing

November 7, 2011 by Sam Rolley

A drug company has agreed to pay a large settlement for its inappropriate marketing of several drugs.

A U.K. drug company has agreed to pay $3 billion to end U.S. criminal and civil investigations into whether it marketed drugs for unapproved uses and other matters.

The company, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, was being probed for its sales and marketing practices for drugs including the antidepressants Paxil and Wellbutrin, according to The Associated Press. The company was also facing questions about its development and marketing of a diabetes drug called Avandia, which has been withdrawn from the European market and limited in the United States because of increased heart attack risks.

An investigation was begun by the U.S. Attorney’s office of Colorado in 2004 and later taken over by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Massachusetts into whether the company was promoting drugs for unapproved uses, and influencing doctors to prescribe them.

The Justice Department also launched investigations into possible inappropriate use of the nominal price exception under the Medicaid Rebate Program, according to The Washington Post.

The $3 billion settlement, which Glaxo says will be paid with its “cash resources,” will be the largest pharmaceutical marketing settlement in U.S. history.

http://www.personalliberty.com/news/...gus-marketing/

An All-Star Thanksgiving Potluck

Seven top chefs put their delicious spins on a traditional holiday menu. The result? Your best feast ever.



by Melissa Clark

Although I have nothing against my family's usual Thanksgiving fare, I do get a little tired of the old reliables. This year, I decided to ask some of the country's top chefs to contribute a recipe to my dinner—a kind of All-Star Thanksgiving potluck, but with me at the stove.

My dream team chef list started with Alfred Portale of New York's Gotham Bar and Grill and Tom Douglas of Seattle's Dahlia Lounge. These two iconic American chefs from opposite coasts provided the meal's centerpiece: the turkey and stuffing, respectively.

For the side dishes, New York chefs Dan Silverman, formerly of Lever House; Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto; and Andrew Carmellini, formerly at A Voce—along with Mitchell Rosenthal of San Francisco's Town Hall—put creative spins on the mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, cauliflower, and green beans my family continues to insist upon. And for dessert, Elisabeth Prueitt of San Francisco's Tartine Bakery enhances the flavor of classic pumpkin pie with freshly ground spices.

The flavors in my dream-team potluck are classic enough to satisfy my tradition-bound family, but different enough to excite us. And that's something we can all be thankful for.

Download a pdf of this menu, including all recipes, shopping list and timeline. http://www.finecooking.com/pdf/PotluckThanksgiving.pdf

The menu

~ Roasted Turkey with Juniper-Ginger Butter & Pan Gravy

~ Rustic Bread Stuffing with Dried Cranberries, Hazelnuts & Oyster Mushrooms

~ Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots

~ Maple-Tangerine Cranberry Sauce

~ Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, Sage & Hazelnuts

~ Green Beans with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette & Parmesan Breadcrumbs

~ Sugar & Spice Pumpkin Pie with Brandied Ginger Cream

Menu Timeline

1 week ahead

Make juniper-ginger butter.

Make the cranberry sauce.

1 day ahead

Brine the turkey (morning).

Rub the flavored butter under the turkey's skin.

Toast and skin the hazelnuts for the stuffing and the cauliflower.

Make the vinaigrette for the green beans.

Make the caramelized shallots.

Blind bake the pie crust. Fill and bake the pie. Let it cool completely, then refrigerate.

Thanksgiving morning:

Prep the baking dish for the stuffing, and combine all the ingredients except the broth.

Toast the breadcrumbs for the green beans and combine with the cheese.

Prep the ingredients for the cauliflower.

4 hours before dinner:

Heat the oven to 350°F

3-1/2 hours before dinner:

Put the turkey in the oven to roast.

Take the pie, caramelized shallots, and cranberry sauce out of the refrigerator to let them come to room temperature.

Peel the potatoes and cover them with cool water to keep them from discoloring.

2 hours before dinner:

Add the broth to the stuffing and spread it in its prepared baking dish.

If you have two ovens, heat the second one to 375°F.

Cook and mash the potatoes. Stir in all but 3 Tbs. of the caramelized shallots, transfer the potatoes to a heatproof bowl, cover with foil, and set over a saucepan of barely simmering water to keep warm.

1 hour before dinner:

Put stuffing in the oven. (if you have two ovens, bake it separately from turkey).

Slice the pears for the cauliflower side dish.

Cook the cauliflower dish and keep warm.

1/2 hour before dinner:

Remove the turkey from oven; if the stuffing is in the same oven, increase the temperature to 375°F to finish baking the stuffing.

Make the gravy.

Cook the green beans and finish them with their viniagrette and breadcrumbs.

After dinner:

Whip the cream for the pie and serve.

Shopping List

Fresh Produce:

4 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes

2 lb. fresh green beans

1 medium head cauliflower

1 lb. oyster mushroom

12 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries

2 large ripe pears

5-6 tangerines

2-3 Meyer lemons

1 medium orange

3 bunches fresh rosemary

3 bunches fresh thyme

1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 small bunch fresh sage

1 small bunch chives

12-14 medium shallots

Large piece fresh ginger

2 large cloves garlic

Meat, Dairy & Eggs:

14-lb. natural turkey (preferably fresh)

7-1/4 sticks unsalted butter

2-1/4 cups heavy cream

1 cup crème fraîche

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

3 large eggs

Other Groceries:

2-1/2 lb. kosher salt

1-1/2 lb. granulated sugar

1 cup black peppercorns

Loaf of rustic bread (1 to 1-1/4 lb.)

15-oz. can pure pumpkin

2 cups hazelnuts

2/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

2 Tbs. brandy

Whole dried juniper berries

Pantry Staples:

3 cups chicken broth (homemade or lower-salt store-bought)

2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup, preferably grade B

2 tsp. ground ginger

Cinnamon sticks

Whole cloves (or 1/8 tsp. pre-ground cloves)

Whole nutmeg

Table salt

Kosher salt

Black peppercorns

Wines for the feast

When choosing wines to serve at Thanksgiving, don't feel that you need to pair each dish with a wine; instead, pick a couple of versatile bottles that will complement the meal as a whole. Avoid too much oak, which would overwhelm the more delicately flavored dishes, and tannin, which would taste bitter paired with salty and cream-based foods, such as the turkey and mashed potatoes. Most important, uncork what you and your guests like.

White ideas: Young, fruity German Rieslings are a good choice. Two favorites:

2007 von Hovel Estate Riesling Balduin, $16
2007 Gunderloch Riesling Spatlese Diva, $22

Red ideas: Try a Pinot Noir with medium acidity, such as:

2005 Heron Pinot Noir, Vin de Pays d'Oc, $12
2006 La Crema Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $34

A dessert splurge: Why not? It's the holidays. Match the spiciness of the pumpkin pie with a late-harvest Muscat:

2006 Donnafugata Passito di Pantelleria Ben Rye, $32

-Tim Gaiser, master sommelier

photo: Scott Phillips

http://tinyurl.com/bs5paxh

Ridin out the Recession



The Hog Trap/Pen is Complete:

Posted on November 6, 2011 by adminGood morning to all our friends this morning! Thanks for droppin back in to visit!
As you know we started building a hog trap/pen a few days back on account of the dern pigs rooting up our pasture. We can’t let this continue, so…we have built the pen.
For you folks who aren’t familiar with the damage these guys can do to a place, let me just say that it is considerable. A good size group of hogs can literally ruin a place in just a matter of days!
Wild hogs are really becoming a problem here in Florida. They’ve been around down here basically forever, but they seem to be really becoming more and more troublesome as well. Like I say, they can ruin a place in a flash.
Florida’s wild pig population is second only to Texas. That says a mouthful when you consider how big Texas actually is.
Sows can have two litters a year, and each litter may have up to 12 pigs. This is amazing to me when you think about it. Take Miss Piggy of The Muppets fame. I have no idea how many years we watched that show, and I can’t remember even one time where she wasn’t on the show, due to pregnancy leave?? Do you??
Evidently she is an exception to the rule, huh!
Here’s a couple pictures of a good sized boar hog at the ranch in Yeehaw Junction.


As you can see from our video below, we placed our pen up under an oak hammock. This will give them shade from the summer heat, and actually drop acorns in the pen too. It turned out nice, and the pen should be “just the ticket” in helping us get a handle on our problem here.
Anyway, here’s the video of our finished product.




Our next video is showing Red’s daughter, and our granddaughter Shelby Lynn. Once we videoed the hog pen she decided she needed one with her in it too. Being she has her Papa and Nana wrapped around her finger…she got her a video! LOL!
Also Corey who works with us is 20. I aggravate him all the time about a girlfriend, so I’m now his “agent” if any of you young ladies are interested! He’s a great kid and a hard worker, so if you girls are lookin for a man, he’d be a good un, cause he’s still young enough for you to train! Send in your request…I’ll send you his number!
Now ole Dale on the other hand has decided he too wants to use “Dub’s Dating Services,” but like I told him…there ain’t many out their older than you still kickin around, buddy. He agreed, but put in his application anyway. He’s looking for an independently wealthy woman, with a good sense of humor. Preferably over 80!!
Shoot, after taking a look at his request of what he’s looking for, I may go through his replies very carefully. It seems what he’s looking for just might appeal to ole Dub too! Yee haw!!




Closing out today, let’s take a look at another joke sent in by our friend Roger in Virginia. Roger sends me jokes all the time, so this morning I’d like to ask Roger a question…Hey man…ya gotta job?? LOL!
Today’s joke is about…The Perfect Man! I felt this goes good with Corey and Dale in their quest for…a woman! Check out the joke and it just might give you some pointers into a… “woman’s mind!”
The Perfect Man!
A man walks out to the street and catches a taxi just going by. He gets into the taxi, and the cabbie says, ‘Perfect timing. You’re just like Frank.’
Passenger: ‘Who?’
Cabbie: ‘Frank Feldman. He’s a guy who did everything right all the time. Like my coming along when you needed a cab, things happened like that to Frank Feldman every single time.’
Passenger: ‘There are always a few clouds over everybody.’
Cabbie: ‘Not Frank Feldman. He was a terrific athlete. He could have won the Grand-Slam at tennis. He could golf with the pros. He sang like an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star and you should have heard him play the piano. He was an amazing guy.’
Passenger: ‘Sounds like he was something really special.’
Cabbie: ‘There’s more. He had a memory like a computer. He remembered everybody’s birthday. He knew all about wine, which foods to order and which fork to eat them with. He could fix anything. Not like me. I change a fuse, and the whole street blacks out. But Frank Feldman could do everything right.’
Passenger: ‘Wow, some guy then.’
Cabbie: ‘He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoid traffic jams. Not like me, I always seem to get stuck in them. But Frank, he never made a mistake. And he really knew how to treat a woman and make her feel good. He would never answer her back even if she was in the wrong; and his clothing was always immaculate, shoes highly polished too – He was the perfect man! He never made a mistake. No one could ever measure up to Frank Feldman.’
Passenger: ‘An amazing fellow. How did you meet him?’
Cabbie: ‘Well, I never actually met Frank. He died and I married his widow.’
You guys have a great day! God Bless you and yours, and Deb says once more… “Keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!
Dub and Deb

http://ridinouttherecession.com/?p=1027

bttt