Monthly Archives: October 2013

Sanitation – Toilets

There is an old saying in computers and programming GIGO which stands for Garbage In = Garbage Out, which means that what ever you program or input into an analyzing application will dictate the results that you get.

What the heck does that have to do with Sanitation and Toilets?

If you eat or drink, you WILL have to poop and pee [defecate and urinate]!  There is no ‘delicate’ way to address the topic.

Back in the old days and even some places today, when you had to ‘go’ you went out behind a tree and away from camp and do your business. If you’re nearest neighbor is a mile away it is no big deal. However if you live around other people you kinda have to do better than that.  In industrial countries we have flush toilets, it is really great to go to the bathroom and ‘do your business’ flush and it goes away with no hassle.

As with any modern convenience there are things that you have to do, known as preventative maintenance. Especially if you have trees between you abode and either your septic system or in town the street and the public sewer system.   As trees and other plants grow their roots spread looking for food and water and WILL eventually get into the sewer drain pipes and clog up the works. This is just a fact of life. The number one best item of preventative maintenance for this is to annually have your plumber come out and clean out your pipes with his [or her] roto-rooter .this is BEST scheduled during the late summer or EARLY fall before it gets cold and there is snow / ice on your roof. This is a safety issue as the plumber will not go on the roof when it is slippery, neither should you. This is also cheaper than waiting for your system to stop up on a Friday and paying the weekend or after hour’s call-out fees. When the sewer backs up there is a health hazard and basic messiness issues. Most people, IF they think about it at all, will put this process off a couple or several years to save money. This is FALSE economy as that puts you back into crisis management again.

What if there are no trees at all anywhere near your home?  All that is growing there is grass; you don’t have to worry about the pipes being clogged with roots. Right? Wrong! Some native grasses have roots that can be 12 feet deep and will grow into the pipes. You may be able to go 3 to 5 years without a problem. I would not go over 5 years between the preventative maintenance – see above.

end part 1

 

All Hallow’s Eve

It is nearly All Hallow’s Eve, more commonly known as Halloween. How ever you observe it, it is fun, profitable [candy loot] and dangerous too. Face paint is safer than masks, stay with your kids as it is safer and more fun. Everyone should be carrying  some sort of light to not only see but to BE seen. Know who you are visiting. One major rule that we always had, both for us and our kids [and now grandkids] NO eating the treats until they have been inspected.

Another aspect of Halloween is the treats. Of course you want to have plenty of candy on hand for the kids. Depending on your area the stores sometimes put the candy on sale or clearance late in the day on the 31st, at least by the next morning. This is a great time to stock up for the rest of the year and in your BOB or bug out bag. I go for the peanut-butter taffy which individually wrapped so it is easy to eat one the go while you are walking.

For storage it will last a long time repackaged into quart or sandwich zip lock bags or in Mylar. Basically anything that keeps the air out. We have put it up in the sandwich bags for portion control and then sealed them in #10 cans for long-term storage. The #10 cans stack well and can even be used as furniture [more on that later].

If you are thinking ‘Why candy” ?? if you have kids, they will be easier to live with if they can have treats during the year. It does not matter what age the kids are 5-8 or 58 ;] everyone likes to have treats of some kind. Also it makes a good barter item.

What are YOUR thoughts on this topic?

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CAPITOL TEA PARTY SPEECH P3

In January of 1991, for instance, in the midst of the Eastern European collapse of communism, Soviet troops assaulted the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, and took over several city locations in an attempt to crush the revolution. The targets? Not armories, nor troop concentrations – but the central publishing house and the TV tower, in an attempt to suppress the nationalist media.

And, in March of 2003, as part of a crackdown by communist Cuban state security, the house of Pedro Alvarez, Secretary-General of Cuba’s CUTC, a prominent trade union, was raided; Alvarez was arrested and state-threatening materials were seized. The “state-threatening materials”? Not guns, bombs or artillery – but books, computers, radios and fax machines.

Why is it that despots consider the transmission of information to be deadlier to their tyrannical ends than stockpiles of guns and bombs?

Because their propaganda-driven policies of aggression and enslavement cannot stand the truth of exposure. The “samizdat,” for instance (the network of illegal and underground publications of banned books, thoughts and materials in the post-Stalinist Soviet Union), was a significant thorn in the side of Marxist-Leninist agitprop for decades – and its activities, when coupled with new, incoming Western technology throughout the 1980s, played a significant role in the fall of the Iron Curtain.

 

Actions, as everyone likes to say, speak louder than words, ladies and gentlemen – and it is such actions that make it clear that it is the power of ideas that such thugs fear – and, even more so, your understanding of that power – so, be advised: If you want to fight a battle against the coercive powers we find assaulting us today, the FIRST step of that process would be to become aware of your own personal and intellectual power, and start acting on it! Dictators both domestic and foreign are spending billions and billions of dollars in their attempts to propagandize your mind and get you to fail to see that answer –because they know that if you do, all of their schemes collapse.

 

As Ayn Rand once observed, “Ideas cannot be fought except by means of better ideas. The battle consists, not of opposing, but of exposing; not of denouncing, but of disproving; not of evading, but of boldly proclaiming a full, consistent and radical alternative.” (Ayn Rand, “The Cashing In: The Student Rebellion,” 1965.)

 

So, again, ladies and gentlemen, in closing, let me reiterate: PRACTICE your personal and intellectual power. Do NOT give your sanction or support to the thugs who are ruling you through your own tacit consent. Make such thugs display the true nature of the source of their so-called power by performing their demands at the point of a gun.  If they place you in jail, if they steal your property, if they burn down your house or place you in front of a firing squad – do NOT given them the power of your sanction! Our forefathers once swore on their ‘lives, fortunes and sacred honor” to defend the ideas of liberty – have we become so timid and programmed by the machine that we cannot stand up and do the same?

 

Once this issue is seen for what it is, with the window-dressing of the legal and social system and your voluntary compliance stripped away, you’d be surprised by how fast they retreat. You – as one human being, as one individual, as the spirit of one indomitable mind – are the key. “Become the change you wish to see in the world.” And, together, not as a mass but as a collection of such individuals, we can topple these regimes any time we care to – because it is actually our sanction and our consent that makes such rule possible! My suggestion for you, today, would be to act accordingly and quit granting the rule of brute force a dignity and respect it does not deserve and has not earned… For, again, it is such tragic errors that maintain such rule, and when we finally realize that you cannot enslave a free man, but only kill him, our Second Renaissance will be assured.

 This ends Brad’s talk that he gave at a TEA party rally. I would like to take a moment to thank Brad for being so out spoken and continuing to fight the good fight.

CAPITOL TEA PARTY SPEECH P2

his is the 2nd part of Brad’s talk

Now, “power” is a multi-faceted word which can mean a lot of different things, and Merriam-Webster defines power in the following fashion: As a noun, “(1) A position of ascendancy over others; (2) the ability to act or produce an effect; (3) one that has control or authority; (4) physical might – also, mental or moral vigor; (5) the number of times as indicated by an exponent a number is to be multiplied by itself; (6) force of energy used to do work; (7) the amount by which an optical lens magnifies.” Also, “power,” as a verb, means: “To supply with power and especially with motive power.”

Some examples of such powers, then, would be: Electrical power, as in the ability to produce a flow of electrons through wires to light and heat our homes; mathematical power, as in 102 = 100; political power, as in the ability to hold a gun in our hands and force others to do our bidding; and economic or social power, as in the ability to produce goods and services in the marketplace.

For our concerns today, however, it is personal and intellectual power, as exemplified by definitions (2) and (4), that interest me the most – “the ability to act or produce an effect,” and “mental or moral vigor” – as I believe that even a small amount of reflection will make it clear to anyone that these two categories serve as the root for all other forms of power.

However, despite the fact that these forms of power, personal and intellectual, serve as the base for all other forms, I would contend to you today that it is precisely these that are the most ignored and evaded – and not only by our system and culture in general, but precisely by us, as individuals, as well. And yet, it is exactly in an understanding and exercise of such power that the answers to the myriad problems facing us today lie!

 

As an example, consider the local UDC laws here in Cheyenne, which forbid the establishment of particular forms of landscaping and regulate the design facades and setback distances of building construction. What is it that ultimately makes such laws possible? Yes, of course, the plundering politicians are a necessary ingredient for such events to occur – but, on a much more fundamental level, our compliance, as individuals, is also required. What would happen if a significant fraction of the population of Cheyenne were to simply refuse to recognize the validity or practice of such laws, and build and landscape as they wish on their own private property? What would happen if enough people were to simply “Just Say No!”?

 

Yes, some of us might end up in jail… But I would submit to you that there is simply not enough jail space in our jails to hold even a sizeable amount of this city’s population in the event of such an occurrence. And I would also submit to you that were enough us – not even a majority, and not even a large minority, just enough of a percentage to cause major headaches for the looters currently pointing their guns at our heads – to act in such a civilly disobedient fashion, the combination and synergy of all our personal powers would grind such systems of coercion to a halt.

 

And if you don’t think that’s true, history says otherwise. Remember, if you will, our very own Revolution and our Declaration of Independence of 1776, where a minority – not a majority – of individuals spoke up and declared to the world, “We don’t need a ruler!” The power of coercion, when placed against the power of morally and rationally sound ideas, simply cannot compete, and the so-called “ineffectual” power of such ideas have toppled Kings and Dictators time and time again.

 

And lest you think that the example of our own Revolution was merely a historical exception to the general power of the rule of the thug, I would caution you to consider two other examples as well: Mahatma Gandhi’s toppling of British rule in India in 1947 and Lech Walesa’s toppling of Communist rule in Poland throughout the 1980s, culminating in his election in 1990 as Poland’s first democratically elected president.

 

What were the weapons employed by these two men? Not violence and force of arms, but… Boycotts, resistance and civil disobedience. By the use of such means, both of these men were able to crystallize and coalesce the tremendous personal powers of each of their nation’s citizens into mighty social forces that wiped their respective dictators out of commission. However, be advised: Consistency and integrity in the practice of such methods is a crucial requirement – and it was Gandhi, himself, in one short sentence, who summarized the means of asserting such tremendous personal and social power: “You must become the change you wish to see in the world.”

If you still doubt the revolutionary power inherent in such ideas and practices, be advised that your enemies certainly do not:

end of part 2.

CAPITOL TEA PARTY SPEECH

CAPITOL TEA PARTY SPEECH – OCTOBER 12, 2013

 By Brad Harrington

 Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen, and welcome to the Tea Party Rally! I’d like to personally thank M. Lee Hasenauer for asking me to share 10 minutes of time with you today.

 Knowing that I’ve spent a large amount of time researching such topics as the United Nations, Agenda 21, local UDC codes and the manner in which they reflect such international schemes for slavery, M. had asked me to speak on those issues today.

 As I began composing my speech this morning, however, I realized that I would be doing my listeners a great disservice if I did so!

Now, when I say that, it’s not that I don’t believe that those issues carry a tremendous impact and don’t merit serious and reasoned discussion – because they do.

It’s just that they do not lie at the root of what is happening around us today – and I strongly believe that if that root itself is not thoroughly explained and understood then none of the rest of our opposition will have any true meaning or lasting effect.

As a sidebar, however, on the matter of international treaties and the manner in which they are permitted, constitutionally, to bypass the Bill of Rights, I will  refer you to the well-reasoned arguments presented by Kenneth W. Royce in his book, “Hologram of Liberty: The Constitution’s Shocking Alliance with Big Government,” published by Javelin Press, with an emphasis on Chapter 5 entitled “Concerns Then… Nightmares Today.”

No, today, I’d rather speak on a topic with far more import that has profound implications for everything we think, say and do – because, as I told my wife Barbie this morning, “I’ve got 10 minutes to reach people’s hearts and minds, and talking about Senate treaties is not the way to achieve that goal.” That topic is: Power.

end of part one.

Making a living – Renny

Making a living or just earning a little extra to make ends meet. For those with a steady income and a moderate life style you may get by comfortably only on that income. For many who are struggling on what little income that they have there are choices to be made. For some the choice is not what are we going to have for dinner tonight, but are we going to have dinner tonight or am I going to spend the money on my heart medication instead.  I recall back in the 70s the stories of old people eating cat and dog food because they could not afford more. All that we will address another day.

If you have some artistic talent you could try doing what a friend of mine is doing, which is drawing arts. In this case her drawings come out printed on articles of clothing. Her sales site is http://www.cafepress.com/rennyhalldesigns  Please check out her products.

She is talented and an inspiration that where there is a will, there is a way.

 

What other ideas do you have for generating revenue in you area?

Healthcare – call for help

The Call for Help……Most Cities 9-1-1

  1. If an injured person is in distress but is breathing, phone for help at once!!
  2. If the victim is not breathing: phone first, then help, but if someone else is available have them call while you help.
  3. What to say:
    1. State the nature of your emergency – this helps the dispatcher mobilize the proper resources.
    2. Give the address including the town name and any special description of how to get to the victim. – if you lose contact with the dispatcher they will at least know where to come looking for you.
    3. Give the phone number from which you are calling. – so that they can call you back for more info and or to give further instructions.
    4. Describe the victim’s condition as best you can: Burned, Broken bones, Difficulty breathing, etc.
    5. Give your name. – So they know where the information came from and so that       they can keep the story straight.
    6. Do not hang up!!  Let emergency persons end the conversation.  They may have questions to ask you or special information to give you about what you can do until help arrives.

Some points to ponder. You should know what the ‘back’ number is to the police dispatcher. Back in about 2002 in our town, there was an incident where all the 911 calls started ringing at somebody’s house. The first few times this happened the home owner  [who was retired] thought that it was a prank. Then he realized that it was not a joke and called the back number for the dispatcher to relay information, in effect doing dispatch. This went on for 45 minutes – an hour until the phone company got it figured out. Now, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story. The phone company was doing some maintenance work on the main switching system when a small wire had fallen across a switching node causing the problem. And now the really odd part, what are the chances of the homeowner being home during the day when this happened so that he could be answering the phone, knowing what the back number was and being able to handle the situation? The last bit of odd with this was that he was retired and used to work as a police dispatcher in our town. ;]

Many places have what is called an enhanced 911 system which will tell them where you are and other interesting info. HOWEVER sometimes the system has old info and wasn’t updated so the address on record may not be correct. We had that happen to us one time years ago when I had to call for back up as where I worked had been broken into. The 911 system had the company’s old address from over a year prior, so ALWAYS tell the dispatcher where you actually are when you call.

In a major disaster, phone lines to emergency medical services may be overloaded or damaged.  You need to consider other forms of communications.

sheet fort

Recently, while talking with a friend, the topic of ‘sheet forts’ came up for playing with grandkids. A common way to build a sheet fort is to take 4 or 6 kitchen chairs [or folding one work too] and place them back to back far enough apart that you can sit or lay between them. After arranging the chairs, drape bed sheets over them to form a tent going clear to the floor. Then play whatever game you want to.

First off, it is a lot of fun to play with the kids that way. On a deeper note, sheet forts are a great way to stay warm this time of year during a power outage or if you want to cut down on power usage for monetary reasons. For this application you will need to place a mattress on the floor in your ‘fort’ to lie on. This will insulate you from the floor to prevent heat loss due to conduction. The sheets or blankets will help to hold your body heat in and cut down on drafts so that you don’t lose the heat by convection. A variation of this would be a freestanding backpacking tent set up on the mattress. There is also a thing called a ‘bed tent’ that you can buy for the kids that goes on their bed or you could build it for a queen or king sized bed too. Going back in time there are the 4 posters or canopy beds.

If the power is still on and you are just trying to save on the power bill you can use an electric blanket placed UNDER you as heat rises, this will keep you very toasty. If on the other hand the power is out, you will have to rely on conserving your body heat of course this is a good opportunity to snuggle with a friend;]   do NOT use any type of open flame such as candles to warm this ‘fort’. Open flames are a fire hazard and depletes the oxygen in the enclosed space, either of which could kill you OR worse.

If you are doing this to conserve energy you can set the house thermostat to about 45 degrees which will keep the pipes from freezing and you will still stay comfortable in your fort. If, however the power is out you will have to drain your pipes to prevent freezing damage or at least let the faucets drip to maintain water flow to at least try to prevent frozen pipes. Here in Wyoming it sometimes gets cold enough that we have to run the water to keep the pipes leading into the house from freezing in the ground.

Current health problems

Some questions & observations to discuss with your doctor to help figure out what is going on with you, or your kids. This is a good start for every condition for which you may decide to seek treatment.

When did _______ start or was first noticed?

What was going on at the time and shortly prior?

Does anyone else in the family or group have similar symptoms?

What have you noticed that makes it better or worse?

What are you doing different than normal?

What have you already tried and how did it work?

Some other lines of reason to explore,

Could this be_____?

What are the best ways to identify any triggers?

Could any or my medications be making me worse?

What treatment do you recommend and why?

What side effects should I expect and what can I do to minimize them?

How can I tell if ______ is coming back?

What kind of preventative measures or therapies can I take and what would be the benefits?

When should I come back in for a visit?

Re-Hydration drink

This is about the best all-around recipe for Re-Hydration drink—- this replaces Pedialyte and Gatorade / sports drinks, a lot cheaper too.
Mix as follows and you can pre-mix into unit dose packets for use while you are on the move.

In a 1 L container mix the following
1/2 teaspoon salt substitute �KCl aka �NU-salt�
1 pinch Epson salt MaSo4–optional add ½ tsp Himalayan salt
2 tablespoon sugar [omit to use in Jell-O or instant potatoes]
Kool-aid to taste    [omit to use in Jell-O or instant potatoes]
Chill and serve —

BTW, Kool-aid comes in a colorless version too for when the person is vomiting. .

It is always better to prevent de-hydration by drinking water. How much should you drink a day? It is NOT the oft repeated 8, 8 ounce glasses.  For the basic amount take your weight in pounds and divide by 2 = the number of ounces you should drink a day. This amount assumes that you are sitting at a desk. The best way to know that you are drinking enough is to check your urine. Normal healthy urine is clear to straw color with no odor. In babies we like to see 8-12 wet diapers a day. Most adults should do the same � ahhh EXCEPT hopefully without diapers.

Are there other recipes? Yup, just like IVs you can mix this to replace electrolytes that lab work shows are missing.