Water and Fuel

An interesting topic/discussion came up the other day on one of the forums. Well, it wasn't so much a discussion as it was a suggestion. A great many of us were dumb struck by the simplicity of the suggestion and we're kicking ourselves for not having thought of it prior to the post.

Scenario: The shummer has happened and you are either trying to get home, get to you BOL, or just trying to make do within your AO. It hasn't rained in some time and water is scarce or you're running low on water in general. Now what?

Ever seen one of these on the side of a school or a commercial property?

That, my friends, is a tamper resistant spigot, or sillcock. If you happen across a building that's greater than a story or two, you might be able to activate the spigot and get water provided you have a sillcock key... and someone hasn't beat you to it! 

You can find these handy little potential life savers at places like Wal-Mart and Amazon for anywhere between $3 and $7. I was so impressed with the suggestion on the forum I bought a two-pack!

That, of course, got me to thinking... what about fuel?

Well, first off, obtaining fuel in a grid down type of scenario presents you with a variety of issues. The first of which is morality. I guess taking water would be a moral dilemma as well, but 'requisitioning' fuel is more likely to get you shot for looting than tapping a water spigot and filling a canteen or two.

Let me be clear... DO NOT STEAL FUEL!

There, now that I addressed the legal aspects, here's what I found that could aid you in tapping your own underground tank if you lose power.

I've got two suggestions. One is a DC powered fuel pump that can be attached to a car battery and the other is a hand crank. Both can be purchased from places like Northern Tool and Tractor Supply for about $160.

I am still stupefied at how simple the suggestion of a sillcock key was... I'm friggin' surrounded by those tamper resistant spigots all the time especially when I volunteer to work on community gardens at the local schools. I guess I was so preoccupied with installing rain barrels that I never put two and two together.

Sometimes... Occum's razor is real equalizer...

Waterfowl Hunters Should Delight

DU released their estimates for the various migratory flyways... should be a good winter out there in the blinds and on the water. Here's the article:

2017 Waterfowl Forecast

I am trying to convince friends to come with me down to Louisiana for a multi-day hunt so we can try out the Mississippi flyway. Had a buddy up in MN set to host us last year, but that fell through. So, given the option of freezing my ass off in MN or trying my hand down at the gulf coast... I think I'll try the gulf coast. Maybe one day we'll make it to MN. 

I've spent almost the entirety of my life hunting the Atlantic flyway... to varying degrees of success of course. A change in flyway could be fun.

Greenhouses... Greenhouses Everywhere!

Got an email from National Geographic and one of the articles was about how the Netherlands is the second largest exporter of food in the world... second only to the US and we have 200%+ more land. That's crazy!

How'd they do that?

Greenhouses! They're everywhere and they are multistory, robust, and technologically advanced! I like playing in the dirt and if I could do it all over again I'd probably been some kind of a farmer/homesteader living somewhere semi off-grid but I've always intended to supplement the farm income with greenhouses. 

This article just makes me want re-double my efforts to get out of the office rat race.

Here's the link: This Tiny Country Feeds the World

I only get one free article a month because apparently I don't have a subscription (thought I did) so hopefully the link works for everyone.

Daughter's Dilemma - Birth of a Conservative

Got a text from my high school daughter proclaiming, "OMG dad! My AP Gov class is full of screaming liberals!" 

After a full belly laugh at her expense, my first thought was, "Welcome to the world in which we live, kid."

Over the course of dinner she explained her comments further. I mostly listened as she vented... because that's what fathers with emotionally charged daughters do. When she was done, I offered the following as sage advice:

1.) Don't pick a fight, intellectual or other, unless you know you can win.

2.) If someone is espousing a specific view point for which you disagree, just listen and let them get it out of their system without interrupting or offering rebuttal. That being said, before you wade into the discussion and offer a counter argument, make sure you are armed with information and facts that back up your position.

Later that evening, I sent her an email full of links and starting points so she could start making her opinions stick in a political debate [provided below]. 

3.) Any position that runs counter to the Constitution is not a fact. It is actually a wish, or a dream, and is definitely a fallacy.

As an example of this statement, I pointed to the Electoral College and the post I created regarding that topic. Use this Blog link and scroll down to the January 10, 2017 post titled: The Electoral College - Working as Designed.

4.) Any discussion that becomes emotional, walk away. Passion is good, but passion isn't truth and passion isn't always factual. Walking away may enrage them further or give them the sense that they've won something, and that's fine. You won't be changing their mind any time soon anyway so wait until they calm down and are capable of having a rational conversation.

After the discussion she stated that she was nervous about speaking up because she didn't feel like 'she knew enough'. Good thing she has a dad that likes research... and conservatism! So I sent her an email with the following information (hopefully she uses the information):

---

And here are links to resources to help you form your opinion. At a minimum I'd start with twitter feeds and the Hillsdale online courses. The courses are about 10-20 minutes in length and will give you a good conservative foundation with which to start forming your arguments and rebuttals.

Dennis Prager
@dennisprager (twitter)
https://www.prageru.com/
http://www.dennisprager.com/

Hillsdale College
https://www.hillsdale.edu/

Free Online Course -->
https://www.hillsdale.edu/academics/free-online-courses/

Online Courses on the Constitution --> 
1.) https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/constitution-2017/home/course-schedule?appeal_code=MK817EM2&utm_campaign=welcome_series&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=email_2_best_offers&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9VvfmS_CQA4HAmtN4NliuAZ18UFtbKNs20q7cOEJc5Mnw2BscjWxivnUnujIdzbrQco8utwp8TCF8QqiXnYTutcmE2Iw&_hsmi=54973371
 

2.) https://online.hillsdale.edu/course/con101/schedule?appeal_code=MK817EM2&utm_campaign=welcome_series&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=email_2_best_offers&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_bY23v9OoI7BAldW_aQZ0uKD85mSMWxPoXAIHJOZVWFMfccyjy9C6ZslAYFvwU1rYnLQZKt-srGaGSmYqgn0oKyzDQAQ&_hsmi=54973371

Article on Free Speech -->
https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/lefts-war-free-speech/?appeal_code=MK817EM2&utm_campaign=welcome_series&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=email_2_best_offers&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9F58DDOAFTDapYOSP8DC6XjwVfL-04IRFz3DSUgji87GPvqETVMXVSfJ9-9E8yZVaKTl0-YAoEPuet2SHGO9TvAbwp2A&_hsmi=54973371

Audio File on Left vs Right -->
http://blog.hillsdale.edu/online-courses/tactics-of-the-left-and-the-future-of-the-right?appeal_code=MK817EM2&utm_campaign=welcome_series&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=email_2_best_offers&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9W_YboFdxNdh3cc3JYTkLTw-h-9ZYAqDCUPHXOc7JhmxadXhnT5geQys_lbAVi0UGSoAq1GzMrXBkJ-tAg4Xng0aiTcA&_hsmi=54973371

Imprimis - Free Monthly Conversative Newsletter Free From Hillsdale -->
https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/

Ben Shapiro
@benshapiro (twitter)
Editor in Chief at the Daily Wire --> http://www.dailywire.com/authors/ben-shapiro#
Ben Shapiro Show (podcast) --> https://soundcloud.com/benshapiroshow

It's the End of the World as We Know It!

And then there's this... 

Biblical prophecy claims the world will end on Sept. 23, Christian numerologists claim

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2017/09/15/biblical-prophecy-claims-world-will-end-on-sept-23-christian-numerologists-claim.html

Convergence of Thoughts

I've been parking in a new garage for work lately. So, instead of a twelve block jaunt, it's one... but I'm, like, number ninety on a waiting list so I have to do the daily parking until then. Anyway, the new parking garage in under the statehouse building so all three levels are below grade.

I tell you this so I can answer a reader submitted question as to how I come up with various topics and ideas I've written about, plan to write about, or I'm currently writing about.

In this particular instance, I've started jotting down notes due to the following observations and current events:

1. I park in a subterranean parking garage
2. The parking garage is directly under a state capital
3. The parking garage is always crawling with State Troopers
4. The Statehouse generally contains elected officials and occasionally the Governor
5. I've been watching the TV show Jericho on Netflix
6. POTUS is verbally sparing with NK over missile and weapons programs

I have more, but if you take those six things, a little whimsy, some creative license, and you have the makings of some rather interesting post apocalyptic fiction. Sometimes it's just as easy as that for me to trigger myself into the creative process.

Once you have the concept or what you think you want to write about, you transition from casual observer to problem solving sleuth. You start asking yourself questions based on story or character driven situations and then try to solve those issues. The key is to take copious notes, not only of your observations, but also the manner in which you think you may have reconciled something.

For example, item number three above. I was walking to my car after work and happened across a State Trooper. I introduced myself and even fired up the Amazon app on my phone so he could see that I was a published author and wouldn't think I was a complete loon for the questions I was about to ask him. Based on that two minute conversation, I was able to learn what State Troopers keep in their vehicles as part of their standard load out. There is, of course, some customization based on the Trooper's preferences and patrol area.

The minute I got in my car, I retrieved my little black book of notes (Moleskiin of course...) and jotted down what he'd told me. For the record, the standard posture for a State Trooper's vehicle is:

• Robust medical kit
• Road flares
• Wet weather gear
• Cold weather gear (as the seasons dictate)
• Assault rifle (AR-15)
• Riot shotgun

I stopped short of asking him how many rounds they typically carry as that might have ended badly. Probably with me in cuffs being questioned despite the fact that I am a published author. Through observation though, I determined that, on their person, they carry:

• Bullet proof vest
• Service weapon
• At least two loaded spare magazines
• Mace/pepper spray
• Taser
• Cuffs

These notes were written down as well.

You take all of the stand alone things and mix 'em up and the next thing you know you have the makings of a new fiction piece tentatively titled, Subterranean.

Easy Peezy!

Operation Choke Point Choked Out

I'm not telling you anything new when I say that it appears that the previous administration targeted specific industries and voices over the course of those fun filled eight years. Thankfully, each of these tactics are being shut down one by one.

In what was known as Operation Choke Point, the federal government took it upon themselves to stymie not only the firearms and ammo industries (along with others), but also your ability to express your 2A rights. Basically, this federally sanctioned initiative turned the banking industry against legitimate and legal businesses for the sole purpose of restricting their access to loaned operational capital and other banking services. Any business arbitrarily considered 'high risk' for fraud and money laundering was targeted.

Meanwhile, the previous administration categorically denied it was targeting conservatives (see IRS Admits Targeting Conservatives and Another Victory Over the Abuse of IRS Targeting Conservatives and IRS Reveals List of Tea Party Groups Targeted For Extra Scrutiny) in the run up to the 2012 election or that it was trying to shut down the firearm and ammo industries. Oddly, the bulk of the businesses that were actually targeted in Operation Choke Point resided almost exclusively in industries allowing private citizens the ability to arm and protect themselves... a legally protected Right.

Which is not to say that some businesses in other industries, or that entire industries as a whole weren't impacted as well, but this unchecked targeting went on for years. As a result, many business were shuttered. While I'm against fraud and money laundering, the crux of the program skirted dangerously close, and sometimes crossed over, into the denial of due process under the law.

I'm not saying Trump is perfect and neither is anyone else, but it was good to see that these illegal miscarriages are being identified, opposition given voice, and that they are ultimately being shut down. Any American citizen should be allowed to live their lives in peace and in the manner they see fit as protect under the Constitution of the United States.

Here's the article from the Daily Signal that prompted this post.

Trump Justice Department End Operation Choke Point

Think About What You're Doing and Why

Interesting article from SHTFPreparedness.com... well, at least, I found it through my Facebook feed for them. It can be found on the smartpreppergear.com website directly without all of the click-thru's... Anyway, I can't say I like the title, but the article does highlight and point to some concepts that many novices need to account for in their planning.

Why Preppers Will Die When SHTF

Quiet Generator

Given the current political climate, many people are looking to stay the hell away from large metropolitan areas. Those folks out there like me that have to go into the city are doing so knowing they could caught in a bad situation very quickly. If you're one of those... be prepared. You can take that to mean what ever you want. Also, in the middle of my furious typing and post-fest last night I did a little research last night and saw that the terms 'off-grid' and 'homestead' are steadily climbing the search engine metrics for most searched on terms/words.

I wonder, do the people doing these searches have what it takes to go completely self-sufficient? My guess is probably not. Do these people have the first clue what it means to be self-sufficient and live off grid?

Bawaaahhhhhh!!!!!!

Sorry, had to get that out of my system...

Hopefully, next year I'll be unveiling my first of two non-fiction books to help these doe-eyed dreamers along. The working title for this is Preparing to Prepare: A General Guide to Self-Sufficiency and Preparedness. You can read a little write-up about that on the Works in Progress page under the My Works menu option. 

Man! I seriously need to some ADD meds... none of the above has anything to do with the title of this post. Well, maybe...

Sorry about that folks... here we go...

When I saw the search terms that were growing in popularity I remembered a string of texts I had earlier in the day where I was asked my opinion of the effects of an EMP on portable generators. Apparently, this fellow's wife recently gave the green light on the purchase and he wanted to know what he could do to harden it and protect it (ahem Faraday cage).

So, take those two things (doe-eyes and generators) and you have the premise for this post.

Scenario: Say Prom King 'Sparky' and Prom Queen 'Miffy' procure some land in the middle of no where and they need some form of electricity until they can drop a mini turbine into the crik or erect their wind mill or install their solar panels. Well, then they might want a generator. Now assume that the reigning King and Queen don't want to advertise their location. Smart move by Sparky and Miffy... even smarter that they diversified their generation sources (just saying).

Now, knowing that the only forms of silent electrical generation are the three things they have planned on installing, they need to find the quietest portable gas powered generator they can. Here's what I found in terms of articles:

Generator Advisor          Portable Generator Grader          Outdoor Living

Long story short... get an inverter generator. All three sites espouse this recommendation. However, this is a burdensome cost at nearly $1000. A grand for a generator sucks no matter how you slice it.

However, I wouldn't be me if I didn't have a cost effective alternative.

For those of us that aren't from 'old money' and are on a budget, you could always just buy the louder more cost effective portable generator and install a muffler (if the noise is being generated at this location) or build some form of sound baffling enclosure (if the noise is generated from the motor and not the exhaust). Here are some links for you to review on these two sound reduction concepts.

Jack's Small Engine          TractorByNet          YouTube1          YouTube2

Frankly, I'm a redneck and I'm married to a woman that balances the checkbook to the penny... so I'm more inclined to go with the cost effective alternative.

Complete and Utter Randomness

Current Events

There's a lot of stuff going on in the world today... North Korea is threatening Guam and the United States, extremist groups on both sides are escalating everything, and the MSM seems content to fan the flames no matter what. My only advice for any of this is to treat people with respect, but keep your head on a swivel and a round in the chamber.

Propane Cylinders

Quite the segue, no? Friend of mine said he might have some extra propane cylinders laying around and I could have one or a couple if there were as the previous tenant left some. Alas, the neighbors absconded with them... filthy thieving buggers! Anyhoo, I was intrigued with the possibility of adding to the 'couple' (wink wink) I already have and managed to find many cylinders for sale for cheap on LetGo as well as CraigsList. Daddy's done gone shoppin' agin...

Ammo Reloading

This activity has always fascinated me so, using the sites noted above, I've begun sourcing a used shotgun reloader. I managed to find one on CraigsList for 12 ga. shells for $85 which beats the retail prices by a wide margin. Which leads me to another piece of advice... if you're gonna start a new hobby, do it on the cheap until you learn the in's and out's and whether or not you even enjoy it in the long run before you commit to it... so I guess it's kinda like dating.

 Extra Food for Cheap

Same friend that thought he had the extra cylinders turned me on to a place out in the country that is literally called Dings N Dents Grocery. My car was getting a brake job so I sweet talked the wife into driving out of her bubble in the city to this little bastion of bargain prices. Strolling through this little shop got me to thinking... if you were spending money on long term preps, stores like these would be a good place to go for the daily/weekly essentials. If you are so inclined, I'd recommend you start looking for places like Dings N Dents, Dollar Tree, and Aldi for the essentials. You'd be surprised what you can find if you aren't attached to name brands.

The Circle

The wife and I started watching a movie called The Circle tonight before she crashed (which is why I have time to write all of this randomness now). My first thought was that I see startling similarities to the cult like obedience I see in Apple employees. My second thought was that I've become Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec and I'd never survive in a place depicted in the movie The Circle. I swear, if you do manage to watch this movie, you'll start making plans to start a self-sufficient off-grid life... Big brother can kiss my ass.

Ammo Shot

Speaking of circles... I'd like to circle back to the Ammo Reloading section. Naturally, when one starts considering ammo reloading, one tends to do a little research and ask more than a few questions from people in the know. My brother, for example, doesn't have an auto progressive reloader. Instead, he had two single stage reloaders; one for 12 ga. and one for 20 ga. Now, he could just switch out the gauge part and use only one reloader, but given what I read on the Shotgun World forum, and the fact that he got them for free notwithstanding, it seems rather expensive to go either route. So my advice for this random topic is to start with the gauge/caliber that you shoot most and go from there.

Shot Sizes

In a nut shell, the smaller the number, the bigger the shot... here's a picture for us visual learners.

Image Credit and Copyright are noted on the image 

Which Shot or Caliber Should I Use?

Well, it really depends on what you're hunting. I prefer shotguns so I'll stick to that. Another image for the folks like me that like visuals instead of some schmuck droning on.

Image from Accessible Hunter

Shotgun Chokes

A choke in your shotgun can be beneficial depending on what you're doing and how good your aim is. As the image below explains...

Image from Bass Pro Shops

I prefer to use a full choke for two reasons. 1.) I'm a pretty good shot, and 2.) I like a nice tight pattern for the longest amount of distance. Duck and geese don't always fly right over your blind ten to twenty yards off the deck! Ever try and hit a wood duck as it's zig zagging it's way through a cypress swamp? Without a full choke you're more likely to scar a tree or take off a tree limb from repeated misses than you are to put enough shot into the duck and bring it down. Also, bird dogs, especially young impetuous bird dogs, don't always wait for the handler to give the command to flush the pheasant, dove, or quail. Thus, the ability to accurately make the long range shot with a tight pattern is a necessity for a successful hunt.

Hmmm... I'm out of randomness. So, as Benjamin Buford Blue (aka Bubba in Forrest Gump) would say... that's about it.