the Trash vitae

Trash is the editor-in-chief of an independent Colorado micro-publisher/ design studio. I dabble in digital photography, the lost art of film image making, and guerilla digital video. DrMAC Studios specializes in books and videos on self-reliance, gardening, dumpster diving, urban foraging and living off the excesses of others.
This blog documents my daily experiences with the rest of the world

Saturday, January 31, 2009

the great shower debate

click here for the entire article.

Here is the story I saw this morning that inspired the posting today.

Its an interesting debate here at the stead also. The girl kids think that a shower a day is a necessity. The wife thinks about every two days or so. And us boys think about twice a week is fine. Both for health reason and the environment. Though I gotta say honestly there are times , if its real cold that Trash does a good once-a-weeker.

Saturday morning

bfast- breakfast burrito- fruit, donut, water and coffee
lunch- ate outside chef salad, cheetos- green tea
dinner Wallie world fried everything (chicken, taters,okrah) water

hey it was payday so we splurged a bit. We felt guilty and I had heartburn so I was paid back. Anyhow I picked up a supply of smokes and my every 2 week 12 pack on the way home. All week long I been thinkin about the motor home and what "Improvements" for self-sufficiency I wanna make. The minds a churnin'

After the cold spell at the beginning of the week it looks like we are gonne get a warmin trend for a few days. I hope so as I have stuff to do outside.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

deeper in debt , but to whom

bfast- oatmeal, coffee
lunch- leftover wallie world chicken, cheetos, water
dinner- catfish nuggets, green beans, salad, water

watched some tv last night and heard about this stimulus package and was floored. I can see stimulating us with our own money but to have to borrow money from somewhere else to stimulate us is like gettin a hooker for the evening and sending her home in a cuppla hours.

It aint a long term solution. And quick fixes aint gonna do it this time. TO top it off what is the real cost of borrowin from the Chinese and the Middle East.. An old addage about payin the piper and dancin with the devil comes to mind..

Anyhow it really makes the notion of the choice we made on the bug out mobile relevant and practical. I promise pics will get posted shortly.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

vive revolucion'

Bfast- yogurt, fruit toast and honey, coffee
Lunch- chicken- cheetos- water
soup- Campbells canned chicken/sausage gumbo. (safiewway is selling the big cans for 99 cente each.

Over at one of the blogs I visit regularly I read an interesting article on Silent weapons. It disussed weaponry and tactics for gathering meat food if SHTF. Wonderfully ew written but I would take it one step further in thes time of uncertainty. Silent Prepping . Survival and preparedness is a personal choice one must make . Be proud of your choice but dont become a braggart for as ytou know someone or something is probably watching you.
But be steadfast and true and BELIEVE that you will survive.
Stand firm in your priciples and dont backslide.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Sunday

bfast-quesadilla with pepperjack cheese oatmeal and coffee
lunch/ dinner Wallie world chicken and boneless wings, water

The kidlets spent the night in the camper last night. Got down to 17 degrees overnight with flurries but the older girl and her friend made it thru.. Junior (the 9yr old) came in about midnight and cuddled in on the couch.
Went over to Wallie world to get coffee and smokes. For the first time I checked out the RV area and man oh man do they have stuff. And they are just starting to get the camping stuff in.

Also checkin the air pellot guns again. I gonna have to get one for som target practice.. Hear ya go lil rabbit and squirrel. Come to papa. I need some rabbit meat and pelts.. Spen the afternoon watchi the outdoor channel and am beginning to learn about BAMBI hunting.. hmmm

Anyhow back to Babylon tomorrow..
Welcome to anyone who visits from some buddie who have linked to me..

Saturday, January 24, 2009

its Saturday moring

bfast- quesadilla with cheese, orange, coffee
PB and J on Tortilla, apple, water
dinner tuna sandies, chips, water

I often ask "what did you do today to prepare for the SHTF"? Well we came across a deal earlier in the week on a 24ft self- contained motorhome at a panic price on the local CL. We went for it. It was delivered yesterday. Needs some work, both mechnanical and electrical but the engine is strong. Good deal for a prepper . Hopefully we would never have to use it full -time but its a piece of mind to know we have it.

In the meantime Farmer D wrote a piece this month in M.E.N. and they are publishing it online so enjoy.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

another year older

bfast-oatmeal, toast w apple butter, coffee
lunch- tortilla w butter, orange water
dinner- roast beef, mashed taters, salad, water and of course b-day cake. (my?)

spent a relaxing day on the ol 'stead spreading the wealth of compost donations to the several bins. Also added some recycled bird seed and leftover citrus to the feeders around the yard and in the carport. It was almost 65 yesterday so I spent the day in shorts.

In the afternoon took a bike/ bus (10 miles on bike, 20 on bus) run to downtown as the missus bought some sewing stuff for cheap on the local CL. I had to mee the sellers and pick up the stuff. I get some of the strangest looks and comments when people see you pick things up on the dumpie bike.. In Asia noone gleans when you use the bike for carrying stuff but in America its considered strange. I mean this load was so light it would have been stupid to drop 10 bucks in gas and my stress level to go downtown in a car and drive back.. To me it makes the acquisition sweeter when you do it on bike. The idea I had a few months ago of converting the insulated pizza delivery totes I acquired into an oversized messneger bag worked well. I was able to recycle an unneeded box as I was able to put about 30 pds of fabrci and accutiments sewing stuff in the bag and toss it over m shoulders. Kudo to me for that little invention.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

quote of the day

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

This wont be a daily thing but I got this in an email and it was inspiring.

pissin in the compost

bfast- oatmeal, orange and coffee
lunch-leftover homemade chili, cheese, burritos and water
dinner- chicken tenders, fries and mtn dew.

What away to end the week. The people in Babylon gotta cut $634 million out of this years budget. Where will it come from and how big a cut will we have? questions that will soon be answered.

Learned something new online thru the forums I belong too. Apparently human urine is good for the compost pile. Not only does it warm the temp in the cooking process but its loaded with nitrogen for the soil. Gonna have to give it a try in one of the compost bins. The one farther from the house.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

gotta love the youth of today

bfast- oatmeal, fruit coffee
lunch- leftover chicken, biscuits, apple and water
dinner- homemade chicken soup with veggies, biscuits, water

Another day in Babylon. 2 more to go until the weekend. Sitting at lunch yesterday with some of the "kids". I was fascinated at their discourses. It seems $100 for a pair of jeans is nothing to these kids. My god, If i have to pay more than 5 bucks I look elsewhere. Denim is the working mans fabric and no working man is gonna pay ( nor could he afford to pay) $100 for a pair of work pants. But these kids buy them regularly and in volume,
I wondered how these jeans would hold up digging trenches, working on the roads, or doing anything that requires manual labor. Neither would these kids. We are in a conundrum.

Anyhow my compost project (like at home) I am using a 3lb plastic coffee can w/ lid to hold the food scraps I create at work to compost and bring home. I figure I am only 1/2 invested if I throw away stuff at work that I wouldnt throw away at home. So the intermingling continues. I have began a small bit of horticulture in the office with a "recycled" good luck bamboo and a cuppla pothos clippings. Makes the space a bit cozier. Plus with this move in Babylon I have a parking aspace in front of my desk for the bike and more room to branch out and the bright side is a full view window to see the world outside.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Secondary parts of vegetables/fruits are edible too

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/newsletters/hortupdate/may02/art4may.html


As the old Indian say "waste not , want not.
Before yopu toss it in the compost, maybe you can use it is a salad.

from gun control to Socialism

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/duffy115.html


Well, let's see! The country is slipping into a recession or worse, we have a new President who favors expanded gun control and socialism, and Congress seems set to enact the Fairness Doctrine, a law that will probably stamp out conservative and libertarian talk radio. That's a helluva way to begin the New Year!
read the rest. click on the above link

Monday, January 12, 2009

food sources for when the SHTF

Wild GameAs the human population continues to decline, look for a huge increase in the number of wild and semi-wild animals. Mostly small game such as rabbit and squirrel but what most people fail to realize is that the outskirts of most urban centers harbor a good number of whitetail deer.Small game can be taken with traps, air rifles, slingshots or ever killed with a club or rock. When I lived on a lot in a small city I shoot squirrels that found their way into my back lot with a .22 caliber single rifle loaded with CB caps, (down-loaded .22 rimfire ammo) the little rounds are very quiet and can take most small animals out to about ten yards. Deer can easily be snared or shot.Look for huge numbers of semi-domestic dogs and cats to populate urban areas after a collapse. If you can get past the thought and your own limitations these can be good sources of meat. Dogs can be caught in snares and cats are easy to trap using homemade box traps.Most cities have an abundant pigeon population. It is a simple matter to follow the flock to their roost at dusk. Shinning a light into their eyes they tend to set still where they can be caught or killed with little trouble. Air guns and sling shots work well.Without a doubt the most abundant source of meat in any urban environment is the common rat. They have thrived under even the most challenging circumstances. It is almost a certainty if there are human survivors after any catastrophe rats will be in abundance. Like most small animals they can be trapped in homemade box traps or shot.GardeningDon’t expect to support yourself entirely from a city garden, at least not at first. I have raised tomatoes in a window box and hanging baskets on the terrace. Perhaps in time large community gardens would spring up that could be worked by groups of survivors.During the first months preceding a collapse gardens will need to be hidden and out of site. A lot of vegetables are easily mistaken for weeds and are not all that difficult to keep hidden from passers-by.The first rule of avoiding detection is to never plant your crops using the traditional roll method. The three sisters gardening method comes to mind, the some North American Indian tribes used this technique to grow corn, beans and squash to great effect and it acts as a natural camouflage.When it comes to survival gardening, obviously we must start with seed; therefore it becomes a necessity to have a source of viable seed on hand. Look for non-hybrid ("heirloom") varieties, you want to be sure the seed saved from year to year will breed true and continue to do so. Hybrid varieties for the most part are unpredictable and seem to only do well during the first year of planting.Most garden varieties should be included in your stock. Include such vegetables as: artichoke, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, corn, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, gourds, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard green, onions, parsley, parsnips, peanuts, peas, peppers, pumpkin, radishes, soybeans, spinach, squash, sunflowers, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip, watermelon, zucchini etc; In general put back seeds that grow well in your area and of foods you like to eat.

Back in Babylon

breakfast- oatmeal-banana coffee
lunch- leftover chicken-chips and coke
dinner- homemade pepperoni pizza- green beans and water

spent a lazy Sunday relaxing and watching the tv. In the early eve went over to Wallie world so the missus could get out of the house. Picked up some groceries and stuff and came home. Fell asleep around 10-11 and woke up at 430 to let dog outside. Weather was wonderful. NIce and warm at 430 in the morning.
Went in and made coffee. checked email and waalaa next thing there was 4-6 inches of snow on the ground. Dang blast, took me almost 2.5 hours to get to Babylon this morning. NAd bennrunnin downhill all day. draggin ass

Sunday, January 11, 2009

NYTimes and squirrel stew

I gotta the NYTimes , they always are on the forefront of the changing economy.
yum yum
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07squirrel.html?_r=2&emc=eta1

RARE roast beef splashed with meaty jus, pork enrobed in luscious crackling fat, perhaps a juicy, plump chicken ... these are feasts that come to mind when one thinks of quintessential British food. Lately, however, a new meat is gracing the British table: squirrel....
for the wholer article follow the link above..
Makes my mouth water

weekend frolic

bfast- 6 grain oatmeal, toast coffee
unch- leftover chicken wings, chips/dip and water
dinner leftover chicken chips and a coke..

frolicking around in the warm weather (it hit almost 40 yesterday). took the dumpie bike on a 20 mile run to pick up a stereo w speakers for the missus. We really missed having a record player since last summer when tootsie (the derbyan) ate thru the arm. But alas it was our fault for not putting the cover back on it when not in use. Its getting harder and harder to find them. This one is an oldf Monkey wards one with dual cassette and a radio (AMFM).. Better for listening to PHC (Prairie Home Companion ) on..

Anyhow on the way back stopped by the Sprouts and picked up some more of the 6grain oatmeal that I liked over staycation. Only problem was that it was no longer 2lbs for a $1 but now $1.09 a lb. Thats ok I still bought 2 lbs.

Went out again later in the day on the DB and hit the Lowes for my entertainment. Thewy are starting to get their seed starting stuff, the seeds vermiculaite and the latest sensation (grow lights).. All shapes and sizes.. Guess its really taking off in Yuppie land. Us old hippies been using grow lights for years..to grow our maters. hahaha. It reall put me in a good mood to start seeing the seeds show up.. Spring is coming ..

Friday, January 9, 2009

500,000 jobs lost in Dec. (not mine yet)

bfast- oatmeal and toast
lunch- ham sandies, with dumpie found brie and pickled squash. water
dinner- hammie helper (YUK) wioth green beans and water

The weekend is only a few hours away and I am ready for it. cold beer, smokes and the family with the everpresent TV.. wunnerful wunnerful. And of course back to my routine of weekend dumpiediving and food gathering. I have noticed alot more people driving around the backdoors of the biz places lateley. Doing some back door shopping. Oh well nothin like some honest competition for the delectable finds.
Hoepfully if the logic board prob can get fixed I will be a back to posting lots over the weekend.
Otherwise fightin for time on the kids machine.

portable homestead (screwdriver assembly required)

In New York City a lot of artists live in warehouses, almost in boxes; James Westwater tries to make it greener and more comfortable with his Homeless Chateau. It is designed to be used inside, but provides some privacy and security. He says that it has "cooking and toilet facilities" but both are pretty sketchy in a small unventilated space.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

cooking ideas from the Great Depression


http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-depression10-2008dec10,0,7287311,full.story
From the Los Angeles Times
Food lessons from the Great Depression
Today, learning how to cook on a budget is becoming important to more families. In the 1930s, making do was a kitchen art, honed by necessity.
Sour grass soup, anyone?By Mary MacVeanDecember 10, 2008
When she was a kid, for a treat Pat Box and her seven siblings got "water cocoa," which is pretty much what it sounds like and nothing special today. But that was in the 1930s, when her father's business was reselling bakers' barrels to coopers, and the family would get first crack at them, scraping the wood for any traces of sugar or cocoa left behind.With luck, they'd also have rye bread and fresh butter they'd buy on Brooklyn Avenue.
"It was wonderful," said Box, 87, one afternoon while she gathered with friends at the Claude Pepper Senior Center on La Cienega Boulevard, just north of the 10 Freeway.
At a time when Americans face frightening and disorienting economic uncertainty, the Great Depression provides valuable lessons. For many people, putting a meal on the table without turning to processed or takeout foods is no longer something just for a weekend dinner party but a skill they must learn. People who remember what it was like to eat during the Depression talk about thrift, growing their own, sharing with neighbors and learning to cope with what they had.Box grew up in Boyle Heights in a time of desperate need, but no one went hungry at her family's house, though it took work and ingenuity.
Her mother baked bread and made kreplach. Her father turned flour sacks into towels to sell, and her aunt sold chickens. "You'd stick your hand in, feel for fat around the stomach" and make your choice. Her mother made pillows with the feathers.It was a time when leftovers were planned. A roast chicken -- for Jewish Shabbat or Sunday dinner -- lasted for days, as chicken with rice, chicken and dumplings, pot pie, stew or soup or salad. Women used the wrappers on margarine to butter baking pans. People ate what they could grow or kill or find.
Be honest, now: Can anybody in your house skin a rabbit?Know what to do with milkweed pods? (Boil them and top with grated cheese.) Get your kids to eat sour grass soup? Those recipes, from "Dining During the Depression," a collection of recipes edited by Karen Thibodeau, are unlikely to find their way into kitchens today, despite the state of the economy.But in the 1930s, making do was a kitchen art, honed by necessity.
"In the times when the economy is really bad, it becomes an even more important question of how you're going to put food on the table for your family," says Kelly Alexander, co-author of "Hometown Appetites," a biography of the pioneering newspaper food columnist Clementine Paddleford."If you want to save money, you're going to have to learn to cook," Alexander says.
She says she recently saw a pot pie recipe that called for precooked pieces of chicken, a premade crust and vegetables from a salad bar -- essentially directions for assembling, not cooking. So by appealing to people who are too busy to cook or unwilling to learn, a modern version of a dish invented to make leftovers appealing becomes a collection of expensive ingredients.Many Americans never learned to cook as they grew up, and they rely on takeout or packaged food, but dinner was a very different experience during the Depression.Mix 'n' match soup"We ate a lot of mashed potatoes, and I'm still hung up on mashed potatoes," says Rosalyn Weinstein, 79, pointing to an uneaten scoop on her plate. Though she does not cook much these days, she says she still makes "mix 'n' match" soup from whatever is on hand."Cooking is becoming a lost art," she says. "I've never been a takeout person. And I've never been a fast food person.Joe Bagley, 81, who moved to Los Angeles during World War II, was born in Texas and raised for a time on a farm.
"We were never wanting for food, but you had to raise your own," he says, adding that his family saw plenty of hungry people wandering in search of work. They'd stop at the farm, and Bagley recalls that he'd be sent inside to get whatever was there to feed them.Though the country is not in a depression today, signs of tough times are all around.The market is in shreds, food is pricier. A spokesman for Ralphs and Food 4 Less says more people are turning to house brands, and Albertsons has seen more sales of "stretcher" products such as Hamburger Helper, a spokeswoman says.Food pantries around Los Angeles are worried about having enough to hand out, and restaurant tables are empty. Even Gourmet magazine offered in a recent e-mail newsletter some "recession special" recipes, including a potato gratin adapted from an Edna Lewis recipe.A few generations ago cooking was a family affair, with children sent to pick food from the garden or shell peas. With SAT prep classes or soccer or ballet, many families are lucky to get their kids to the dinner table at all.Gretchen Sterling, who has managed the Villa Park farmers market in Pasadena for 28 years, recalls that her mother, the daughter of a Minnesota butcher, made soap from lye and bacon fat, and canned her own meat. Getting what you needed rarely meant going shopping; do-it-yourself was not a hobby centered on a Home Depot. "Now kids don't even know that carrots grow underground," she says.Cooking everything that came their way was a way of life for Hattie Adkins' family. She was just a girl in the '30s, when her family lived on a farm in Raeford, N.C., but her memories are strong. Her family and those around them ate what was ripe and ready, never thinking of themselves as "locavores," just taking advantage of what was cheapest and best-tasting.Winter stores"When it came time to harvest the corn, we had all the corn we could eat," Adkins, 76, recalled one recent afternoon, sitting in her Long Beach apartment building.Potatoes, beans, cabbage, peaches -- all plentiful and put up for the winter. After they ate watermelons, they pickled the rinds. When a hog was killed, she says, the meat was put into a wooden box and covered with salt, eventually to become ham.Adkins says she also could catch a rabbit in the woods. "Apples today don't have a good smell. Back then if you set a trap and rub the peels on the trap, the rabbit would come on in."Anybody in the neighborhood who didn't have, always had when they came to our house," she says. "We had enough food to feed a lot of people."These days, she eats simply, usually using inexpensive ingredients. She'll saute an onion, add a little flour to brown it, pour in canned potatoes and green beans -- juice and all -- sprinkle on some rice and let it simmer.City food, not farm food. But one thing hasn't changed: She often feeds neighbors.MacVean is a Times staff writer.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Wed morning blues

bfast-oatmeal and raisins, coffee
lunch- leftover chicken salad with fresh greens, water
dinner-pawk chops, taters, water

been back in Babylon for 2 days now and nada has changed. everyone still walkin on eggshells. Anyhow started bringing my books home just to make things easier. Never agin will I become too comfy in any position other than on the couch in my home.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Sunday morning goodies

bfast- oatmeal and toast w/ coffee
lunch- pepperoni sandies water
dinner-leftover assortment

snowed overnight (1-2 inches) but I hav promised a fellow freecycler I would pick up about 100 prerecorded vhs tapes so I hopped onto dumpie bike and headed on over in the flurries. fun ride. Bungie corded the boxes to DB and headed on home.. good exercise. nothing sweeter than gettin useful stuff and not expending gas to get them.. Tomorrow I am picking up a cuppla vcr's to have as spares. As I tell the missus if the SHTF and we lose cable at least we will have the vhs tapes and working vcrs. Always thinking BE PREPARED.

Anyhow back to Babylon tomorrow and all of its daily fun.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

2 more days until I return to Babylon

bfast- toast and oatmeal, coffee
lunch- mcD's dollar menu cheesburger and sundae, water
dinner- take-out treat- we went to $1.15 a scoop chinese and grabbed about $40 bucks worthof assorted delicasies.

spent the morning enjoying the warmth outside (almost 60) and then took a bus ride (wife went to fabric store for $1.99 pattern sale while boy and I went to Mc D's and chinese place for special dinner. Love taking the bus.
On the walk back we found a discarded yard sculpture (twig bull elk missing one side of his rack). I figure we can remove the other rack side and rename her twig bambi. She looks wonderful in the yard. Came back and gorged on the chinese food with pleanty of leftovers and played UNO until I got tired and went to the TV.

Friday, January 2, 2009

DIY SUV toy for the kddie


The SUV was made from an old Cooking Oil container, I can’t remember the brand. The “top” is cut-out and they put other little belongs in there pulled it for hours. The wheels are made from old slippers, or sandles. Spokes from an old bicycle served as the axles. Banana stalk was used to pull the “vehicle”.


its Jan 2

bfast- toast and jelly oatmeal and coffee
lunch- pickles and beer with some hot wing leftovers
dinner- leftover enchiladas, wings and beer

Spent a really dumbed down day yesterday watching Americas funniest home video rerun marathon. Also tuned in to a Living with Ed marathon on Planet Green. Reality TV is a waste of time. But I added another access point to the daughters room with a splitter connect to their room.
Spent some time in the garden turning the compost bin and adding more organic matter. Contemplating the last 3 days before going back to Babylon next Monday. A sort of gloom and doom before the storm. Remembering that the time in Babylon is a means and not an end to the Trash homestead.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

100 Items to Disappear First



Stock up on these things while they are available.

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 - 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won't heat a room.)
15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {"Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress's
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens

From a Sarajevo War Survivor:
Experiencing horrible things that can happen in a war - death of parents and
friends, hunger and malnutrition, endless freezing cold, fear, sniper attacks.

1. Stockpiling helps. but you never no how long trouble will last, so locate
near renewable food sources.
2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.
3. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in war
quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold's.
4. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity - it's the easiest to
do without (unless you're in a very nice climate with no need for heat.)
5. Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without
heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy - it makes a lot of
the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible. Only needs
enough heat to "warm", not to cook. It's cheap too, especially if you buy it in
bulk.
6. Bring some books - escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more
valuable as the war continues. Sure, it's great to have a lot of survival
guides, but you'll figure most of that out on your own anyway - trust me, you'll
have a lot of time on your hands.
7. The feeling that you're human can fade pretty fast. I can't tell you how many
people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of
toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to
lose your humanity. These things are morale-builders like nothing else.
8. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches


mobile home dwellers been using this for years

Heck it even comes in colors now. Red for hot and blue for cold or white for cheap. I can do an entire home for under 200 dollars and it will last for years.


Next time you need to replace pipes in your home, consider an alternative to rigid piping. PEX-AL-PEX plumbing, or PEX for short, comes in rolls, can be cut easily to any desired length, and requires no soldering and very few joint fittings. This flexible plastic piping is so easy to install that you can handle most projects quickly on your own.

Named for its sandwich-layered construction, PEX uses cross-linked polyethylene as the outside layer, aluminum as the middle layer, and another layer of poly on the inside. This piping is approved in major plumbing codes, and it's had a successful 30-year track record in Europe. It's a little more expensive than rigid copper piping, but the advantages outweigh the extra cost, because you can save money by doing the job yourself.

PEX is sold at all major hardware stores, where it's usually sold as water supply piping and infloor radiant-heat lines. When you buy it, make sure the tubing is stamped with 'NSF-61' or 'NSF pw' (for potable water), which distinguishes it from the PEX that is used only for infloor radiant heating applications.

happy freakin new year

bfast- toast and jelly, fruit, oatmeal, coffee
lunch- mc rib sandie, coke
dinner- pizza rolls, enchiladas, and fries, water

2008 was a year to remember as it is the start of the coming downfall of the world into a long lasting depression. Yes folks Trash is not afraid to call it what it is, a depression.. Survival, self reliance are the skiolls one needs to garner in the coming times. Be prepared.

Anyhow went front door shopping yesterday and you can see the horror asnd fright in peoples eyes as they no not what the new year will bring. My grannie always said "expect the best but prepare for the worst". Stock up stay under the radar and keep pluggin away.