The Insane Housewife Club

Occupy, My Ass!

2011-11-19T11:41:00.003-05:00

Like many of you, I've watched the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement for the last few weeks with outright disgust. Our president and several elected members of our government have "embraced" the movement, encouraged it, and bankrolled it. If these are not impeachable offenses, well...I don't know what is.

The Occupy movement has proven (in all-too-clear and glaringly obvious terms) that the ultimate goal of the enemies of America is to destroy our economy. Now that the occupiers have taken the dangerous step of preventing Americans from going to work, it's time to stop them. Folks, their actions are terrorism - plain and simple.

If these people were foreign nationals standing in our streets preventing the free enterprise system to work, we'd call them terrorists and the military would be brought into clear them. But the occupiers claim to be Americans, and here we are...trying to decide where the First Amendment ends and terrorism begins.

My challenge to the Occupy movement is straightforward: Take your fight and your message to the policymakers, not to the people who suffer at the hands of the policy.

LESSON 12: Faith

2011-08-14T22:36:00.005-04:00

As a Christian I will rely upon my faith heavily. If you don't have faith in anything or anyone except yourself you're going to find yourself in a lot of trouble.

Whatever your faith, take some time and gather a few books or other materials that will help you regroup and revitalize. If it's all online, print them out now and put the materials into a binder.

Memorize what you can. Hopefully, they can't take our memories from us.

Know who your friends are. They may not share your faith, but if they're supportive of it, you're better off than without.

LESSON 10: Hygiene

2011-08-14T22:35:00.013-04:00

Face it. When the SHTF we are all going to suffer from some sort of hygiene failure. We won't take as many baths, won't wash our clothes as often, etc. Some things, however, cannot be neglected or your health will suffer.

1. Teeth - Make sure you have plenty of extra toothbrushes, lots of dental floss, extra flouride toothpaste. Listerine is another great add as it can also be used as a skin antiseptic. If I had to pick one area of your body to NOT neglect, this would be it.

2. Handwashing - If water is scare you'll need hand sanitizers. Grab a couple of the large shopping club pump bottles to use to refill smaller ones. Handi-wipes are a great thing to have a nice stock of.

3. Toilet - Here you have a few options. If you have a supply of uninterrrupted water, a septic system, and a way to flush, you're in luck. If not, I'd suggest kitty litter and plastic bags. I won't go into detail, but it involves a large bucket, a toilet seat, and the courage to face what you made and deal with it. Get a really LARGE supply of babywipes to keep for the job...and please...everyone should have their own container of wipes. One baby wipe can do the job of a hundred sheets of toilet paper.

While this is really, really disgusting, I am telling you this for your own good. Human shit burns almost as well as cow shit once dried. I wouldn't cook over it, but I'd have no problem boiling a wash pot over a pile of dung. Because of its biological nature, it's going to stink. Get the hell over it.

4. Clothing - If you have access to enough power and water, use your electric washing machine - sparingly. If not, consider a roman plunger (used for washing clothes) or a hand-crank washing machine (EmergencyEssentials.com). This beats the heck out of hand washing and wringing, especially in cold weather.

Here's my list of must-haves:

Liquid Bleach
Hand Sanitizer
Listerine
Lysol Liquid
Lyson spray
Kittie Litter
Baby Wipes
Sanitary Pads (all absorbancies)
Toilet Paper (lots and lots)
Paper Towel (if you don't use chemicals, dry them and use for starting a fire)
Facial Tissue
Old Newspapers (for wrapping garbage)
Grooming products (shampoo, razors, scissors)
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss
Nail clippers (bacteria gather under fingernails)
Deodorant
Bath soap
Laundry detergent
Clothes pins, clothes line, drying rack
Washpot
Large Stockpot (use for sanitizing dishes)

I would encourage you to find a way to gather and store rainwater. While I wouldn't drink anything that's been sitting on the groud without treatment, I would use rainwater for washing clothes and bathing.

LESSON 11: Entertainment

2011-08-14T22:35:00.009-04:00

If you've ever spent any time at all in a long term power outage you know how stir crazy you get. You can't turn on the TV, your computer isn't working.

Boredom can create stress, anger, and confusion. In my house, the TV and radio will be OFF. If you're lucky enough to be able to spare the power, a portable CD player will be nice to have, but I wouldn't want to waste the power.

If you know how to play a musical instrument that isn't too irritating to others you'll be a welcomed addition to any community campfire. If you can take requests you'll be a star.

I plan to keep a good variety of books on hand along with several type of hand crafts.

Playing cards, dice, marbles, board games of all kinds are great ways to pass the time at night or during bad weather. Checkers, chess, backgammon, are all easy games to play and the pieces are easy to improvise if lost. If you're a stickler for keeping education in fun, then get Boggle, Trivial Pursuit or any other number of educational games. Dominoes, Scrabble, Crosswords, Password are all good choices. Make sure that you either copy or print out several sets of game rules. This is crucial.

Knitting, crochet, sewing, etc., are all homecrafts that are not only useful, but are of barter value. The ability to sew by hand is a good skill, as are knitting, crochet, and quilting.

If you're lucky enough to save enough energy to play a movie on your TV or DVD player for two hours, why not invite a few neighbors to come watch with you? This will go a long way in building the bonds you need to take care of each other.

LESSON 9: Lighting

2011-08-14T22:34:00.004-04:00

Your options are lighting are various, but I would caution you to use lighting options that are safe, inexpensive, and readily available.

I am very impressed with all of the dynamo (hand-crank) lights on the market today. There are hand-held flashlights and laterns available in the camping section that are inexpensive, durable, and plentiful. These are really ideal if you have young children who need the security of having their own light source. I keep one at the top and bottom of each set of stairs in my home, one in each car, two in my bugout bag, one in my purse, and one in each bathroom drawer. I bought both of my kids the lights that also work as cellphone chargers and radios last Christmas.

Solor lighting is also a great idea. You don't have to stake them outside to get the full effect, either. Set them in a sunny window all day and you'll have wonderful ambient lighting throughout the night. Though not bright, it's enough to keep you from walking into a completely dark room. Again, for little one's they make a wonderful nightlight.

I suggest that you have at least 3 battery recharging systems. I see the A size battery charging systems everywhere and recently have seen the C and D size recharging systems on the internet. Find a way to use your portable recharging systems to keep at least 4 batteries fully charged at all times.

CANDLES AND LANTERNS: I will assume that you all know about candle safety. That being said, I only use candles in wide, low glass jars. That's not to say that I don't have several dozen taper candles in the house. When they go on sale I buy a lot of them. Look for candles to go on sale after Christmas and buy lots of them. I bought two dozen red tapers knowing that I would never use them for fine dining, but they were 25 cents each, cheaper than buying the wax and wick anywhere else.

Head to your craft store and buy a spool or two of good candle wick. It's worth it to buy the best as they burn slow and steady. I also have a few packages of Gulf wax at home. I buy this around canning season because some folks still can using wax. Candlemaking is simple, inexpensive, and when done properly, very safe. Simply keep all of your wax drippings in a bag and melt them down for re-use. Don't buy any candles with the new dissolving wax...it just burns up, leaves soot on your ceilings, and you can't re-use any of the wax.

I have purchased a couple of oil lamps, extra wick, and several bottles of lamp oil. You can find good oil maps at Lehmans.com, but also look around for other supplies while you're there. Again, Christmastime is the best time to find these in plentiful quantities at low prices. One thing: Don't buy scented oils. Trust me on this.

Use one of the old-fashioned methods for maximizing your candle or lamp light and put a mirror or another highly reflective background behind it. Unless you have children, you really shouldn't bother with lighting rooms that are not in use.

Emergency Essentials sells a neat little jar lantern for about $4 each. They say they burn 100 hours, but it's closer to 80. It burns a tiny flame, just enough light to keep you from tripping, not enough for reading or handwork.

Your cell phone is another source of light. WTSHTF you won't be calling anyone with it, so you might as well keep it charged as an emergency low-intensity flashlight.

LESSON 8: MOBILITY

2011-08-12T12:21:00.006-04:00

In all likelihood your car has a computer inside of it, and believe it or not, a few simple rounds of electro-magnetic pulse will shut down your car - and all of your other electronics -in a heartbeat. Unless you're really comfortable with the idea of being crammed into a cattle car a la "Doctor Zhivago", I'd recommend you begin planning for alternative modes of transport.

Now, historically, the oldest and most reliable mode of transport is already attached to your body. That being said, take care of your feet. Have some really good walking "boots" ready to use. Don't even think for one moment that those fancy, lightweight running shoes that are so popular in Central Park are going to do you any favors.

The wheel is your next mode of transport. Unless you want to hike with all of your provisions on your back, you need to come up with a way to pull or push your gear. In the worst case you can use sled technology to drag your belongings, but this gets tiring very fast.

One of the best ideas I've seen on any blog recently is to use a very lightweight boat and trailer. What? You live in the middle of the prairie? Plan on staying there forever, do you? You may want to cross a river sometime. You may encounter a lake. Why discard the idea of multi-tasking now?

If you live in a climate of extremes you'll need to plan for this. If you live in the north this is a good time to get a couple of sets of snow shoes. Yea, I know they look goofy. But better to appear a fool than to step out unprepared and remove all doubt.

You need to figure out what much weight you can carry, besides your own. You'd be surprised how hard it is to haul 20 pounds in a backpack for five miles. This is another reason for getting your wheel, sled, or water transporation system perfected now. It can be as simple as a little red wagon. Look around your house and figure out what you could use...If you have a bed frame you have the makings of a simple carrying system. If the time comes that you're having to think about running, you really don't have to worry about what you'll come back to find in your home.

With all of this being said you should keep in mind that staying on roadways and highways will get you into trouble. But going the backwoods route will get you "dead" unless you learn how to survive the elements (and all of the wildlife in it). Start learning how to hike now. Figure out what works for you and what your endurance level is. Ladies (and gentlemen)...you must learn how to pack light. A few days of hiking with what you now consider essential items should prove to be the best lesson.

LESSON 7: COMMUNICATION

2011-08-12T11:55:00.004-04:00

Pick up the phone, make a call...easy.
Click connect, send an email...easy.
Push a button, hear the radio...no problem.

Until...

If you think you are frustrated NOW with the media, just wait until we have a real crisis (real or contrived) and the government decides that it MUST control all media. You've already heard and seen the effects of social network monitoring, and many of us have been scared shitless at the prospect of "big brother" tracking our private conversations.

The truth is, if you think they're going to do this, you're wrong. They already are.

So, have you come up with a plan to communicate with your loved ones? Your friends? Your prepper support group?

Do you have a two-way radio or a set of long-range walkie talkies anywhere in your house? Have you come up with a language that you can use to avoid being tagged? It can be as simple as one word. Think of the Battle of Normandy, "John has a long mustache..." Really, this is as simple as having an evacuation plan.

Do you know anyone locally who is a ham radio operator? Most ham operators do so not so much as a hobby, but as a last ditch effort to allow citizens to control the airwaves.

If the worst does happen you'll need to think of your every action, every word, every communication as being monitored. Consider yourself a political prisoner on house arrest. Don't even think of sending a letter unless you've got it encoded. I know this sounds like cloak and daggar stuff, but who are you going to trust? Do you really want a commisar to read your letters directing your family members to your stash of goodies?

Perhaps you could start by using your wingding font as a sort of code. Each symbol could represent a word or phrase. You don't need to have a sympbol for each letter of the alphabet...that would be too mind-boggling. For instance, perhaps a five pointed star could represent "plenty of guns, low on ammo", with a response being a right handed check mark for "have ammo, will trade". Or, use the "bible code" method of having the real message in a pattern.

LESSON 6: MONEY

2011-07-21T11:38:00.007-04:00

Face it: The paper money that you have sitting in your bank right now is worthless. We all know this.

My heart breaks for the many people that I know who have taken hard-earned money and purchased a shitload of gold, silver, palladium, etc. To die-hard investors I will never convince you that you've made a mistake, so stop reading here. For everyone else, you need to realize that when all forms of civility break down you MUST have a way to barter for your needs. Now, I'm not saying those investments are BAD - they do have a purpose. But if there is a long recession/depression what do you think everyone is going to need? Certainly not a hunk of metal.

Make a quick mental assessment of your skills. Do you have the ability to sew? Are you a good mechanic? Can you cook? Hunt? Fish? Are you a green thumb with the ability to grow more than what your family needs for each season?

My son is an electrician AND an auto mechanic. He has skills that can be bartered for food, weapons, etc. I have a neighbor who is a former nurse. She can barter her knowledge. I am a hunter. I can barter meats in exchange for other provisions. How many of you are planning on taking out a gold coin (today's value of $1600 an ounce) to buy a bag of flour? Is anyone stupid enough to take a gold coin in exchange for a portion of their provisions? You can't eat it. The electronics that use gold as a portion of their components are likely not being used because there is not enough power to use them.

You will need items and skills that other people depend upon for survival. When you see natural disasters on TV what are the things that people are waiting in line to get? Certainly not gold coins!!!! Water, food, fuel, shelter. The necessities of life.

My investments consist of a bit of precious metals, a bit of cash in small bills, food, weaponry, and knowledge that I can "sell". When it comes down to it, I'll be able to trade a dozen rounds of ammo for a bag of flour, and the guy holding the chuck of gold will go hungry.

I know that my 401k is going to be worthless. I know that my bank accounts will be confiscated. I know that my home will likely be taken away from me. Hell, the federal goverment is now "considering" renting out foreclosed homes. How well do you think this is going to turn out? This is yet another socialist dream being captured by our president. The confiscation of all forms of private property is ongoing and the Supreme Court paved the way by revising our Constitutional rights to imminent domain.

LESSON 5: SECURITY - You Can't Handle the Truth!

2011-07-21T10:04:00.006-04:00

It is inevitable: The Shit is GOING to hit the fan. Cities and municipalities are going broke. Police and fire departments are going unfunded. Our military is stretched to capacity and the entitlement class is screaming about the possibility to being downsized. Eventually some idiot is going to start something stupid.

None of the members of the entitlement class are willing to stand in a line for government cheese. Just this week a report was issued in which the concept of "poverty" in America means cells phones, air-conditioning, larger living spaces that most European citizens, and a daily intake of calories that would make a third world nation regurgitate from gluttony. Eventually the gravy train is going to end and those hungry masses are going to come to find your storehouse of food and supplies. You MUST have a way to protect it. More importantly, you must have the NERVE to protect it.

If you can't see yourself capable of taking a human life that threatens yours or that of someone in your home, do not buy a gun. In fact, buy no weapons at all. In your case you're going to need lots of extra supplies to just give away, or extra supplies to sustain yourself after yours are taken. The reality of this scenario is that you will die - either by force, exposure or starvation.

If you're not pleased with this idea, get weapons and learn how to use them. There are several good firearms that I can recommend for beginners, but I'll recommend three: A good shotgun. A .22 rifle (get a banana clip for a good flow of fire). A good handgun with a few clips kept FULL. The shotgun is ideal for large game hunting and waterfowl (different shells are needed), the .22 is excellent for small game and warning shots, the handgun for close combat. Don't forget the need for cleaning and repair of your weapons and plan accordingly.

I cannot stress enough that you MUST be ready to use it or have it used against you.

I believe in morphology..meaning, I use what I have and improvise. There are literally hundreds of prepper and survival websites that will tell you any number of ways to protect yourself, so I can't give you a one-size-fits-all answer. I also don't want to advise you to do anything illegal. These days it really doesn't take much to wind up in jail.

One of the products that I really like is solar lighting for outdoors. Even in the winter I'll bring the lights in during the day (if the weather is bad and the panels cover with snow) and put them in a sunny window where they charge up nicely. I also recommend that you have a few of these in various windows around your house. They work great as ambient lighting inside the home and a couple of them placed together in a clear, glass vase make a great reading lamp.

The very best security that you have is eyes, ears, and what I call "spider senses". Be observant of your surroundings. Know what sounds are normal. If you have the creeps about something follow your gut instinct.

A dog or two is a great way to maintain security in your home insofar as you have a disciplined animal. Don't sacrifice your dog to an intruder if one happens to get past all of your defenses. This is what bullets are for. Keep your dog safe so that it can alert you another day.

LESSON 4 - Shelter. You Can Survive and Thrive

2011-07-21T09:59:00.000-04:00

If you're lucky your home is not on the 24th floor of a concrete-bound high-rise. If you're damned lucky your home is in the middle of a huge piece of land, on the high ground. If you're like most people your home is in a neighborhood somewhere with a bit of grass around it. You probably get all of your energy from the power company, all of your water from either a well or municipal source, and your neighbors are probably strangers to you.

Consider what you'll do for shelter if you have to leave your home. What will you do to protect yourself from the elements? Do you have a plan of how to transport your hard-earned survival tools?

The best thing I can advise is for you to have two or three safe places that you can count on as a safe place. Do you have friends or family who live a few hours away, perhaps in a rural area? Do you have friends who live outside of a small town? If yes, you may want to ask them if you can begin sending them a little money each week to do some shopping for you. Tell them that if the worst never happens they are welcomed to use your supplies, but that if it does, (and you have to relocate to their property) you are willing to SHARE your supplies.

I can't tell you to buy a trailer, a wagon, or a pickup truck. But I can tell you to be prepared to transport whatever you can gather quickly, efficiently, and leave. I'm fortunate to have already lost everything I ever had in the world three times in my life. I've learned to NOT get attached to anything material. The things that matter to me now are my photographs, my memories, and my freedom.

You've all seen every survivor show on TV that I have, and yes, they make it look easy. The fact is, if you've never built a lean-to shelter you will spend many hours trying to do it the first time under pressure. Practice now. Learn how to construct a simple shelter appropriate for your area and your climate. Keep in mind that it is important to keep the dew, or moisture, off of you, and a lean-to shelter will do this for you. Keep enough extra boughs on hand to use as a covering in case it rains or snows and you should be pretty comfortable.

There are so many options for shelter, so many environments, that I can't go into all of them here. So, in simplicity I'll tell you that if you think you might be out in nature you're going to want one hell of a knife at all times. Pick one with at least an 8 inch blade on one side, a heavy handle (there are many that have hollow handles for storing matches, filiment, etc.), and saw teeth on one side. It's hard to cut down boughs with bare hands, and if you're in the south a lot of those palm fronts have thorns.

Plastic tarps are essential, but I wouldn't bother packing an easter-egg blue one if you're trying to bug out into the woods and hide. In a pinch a clear, plastic painters tarp will do. It won't hold up in the wind because it has no stitching or grommets for support, so don't count on using it for more than a few hours.

One key bit of advice is to only build your shelter with materials that can be found within 100 ft of your campsite. Remember, this is a temporary shelter. Many a camper get lost looking for items within a mile of their campsite. Once disoriented it's hard to find your way back. I also recommend a brightly colored bandana or scarf to hang up high enough to be a visual guide to help you find your way back. Every 20 steps turn around and locate the bandana. Stop moving forward if you can't see it and retrace your steps back until you do.

When I was a kid in scouting we learned how to build various native American houses. Tepees, wigwams, lodges, etc. Bottom line: Don't bite off more than you can chew. Building a shelter requires time and energy, so don't go all Survivorman on yourself.

Lesson 3 - Fuel to Power Your Efforts

2011-04-19T23:24:00.017-04:00

Without a source of fuel you don't sterilize water, you don't cook, and you probably freeze to death.

I cannot stress enough the necessity for several forms of fuel. You need a variety of fuel sources to be modified according to the climate, your immediate needs, and the availability of other fuels. Never pass by an opportunity to use some really odd things as fuel.

I recommend several dozen cans of Sterno, two or three cords of firewood, Coleman fuel, lamp oil, candles, candle wax and wicks, charcoal, kindling, pine cones, tons of matches, at least two FireSteels, a magnifying glass (remember when you were a kid?), and about five boxes of these neat little pouches that burn for about 10 minutes (there are several brands of them). Gasoline should be used ONLY for your generator if you have one. Kerosene requires ventilation, so I don't recommend it, but it is cheap and plentiful.

Batteries are another source of fuel that are overlooked. If you do have a generator I encourage you to get a couple of "Power Station" devices that can be plugged in and recharged and then used later on. Most generators run for five hours on one gallon of gasoline, and most of these power stations will charge completely in as little as one hour. At the same time as your Power Station charges you can charge your rechargable batteries for use later. If you have a set of Walkie-Talkies you'll need to have fresh batteries to get close to the range that you're promised.

I encourage everyone to purchase a few hand-crank flashlights; some of these have radios integrated into them. For a couple of minutes of effort you can have save, reliable lighting for a couple of hours. If you have kids these are ideal to give them a sense of security and empowerment over their surroundings.

Candles are excellent sources of fuel and light, but I don't recommend using them unless it is winter AND you have no other source of light. That can be dangerous and they require constant tending to be used effectively. Oil lamps are a good choice if you can place one on a sturdy table or chair away from activity that might knock it over. I recommend that you buy several yards of wick material for your oil lamps and also buy about 100 feet of candle wick. If you use jarred candles you can keep melting them down, replacing the wicks, and you'll have candles available pretty much always. If you have any used #10 cans you can use one of these to construct a "candle stove". Invert the can, use a bottle opener to punch 3 - 4 ventilation holes in the top, and cut a door to access the candle. Please not that the can will get very, very hot. I've used one of these as a portable heater when we've lost power in the past and it worked extremely well. I was able to put a small pan on top and I boiled a cup of water in five minutes.

Sterno is one of those old, standby sources of fuel that can be used for cooking in a pinch. The new stuff is pretty fume-free, but you still need to use it in a well-ventilated area. My advice is to make sure to get a sterno stove for use with the cans. This can help you to ensure it is used safely. Please practice using sterno before you bring it into your house!!!

Charcoal is one of those things that you cannot have too much of. One chunk of charcoal can help you to start your fire (outside only). Commercial charcoal is lightweight, easy to transport, and makes an ideal way to help you get a good fire started if you're on the move. Charcoal during the spring and summer months is pretty cheap to buy, and buying the stuff that is already doused with a starter is probably a good bet for anyone. Store is somewhere dry and away from any electrical or heat sources.

Chapstick. Yep..old fashioned, sticky, in the tube Chapstick is flammable. Chop off a small bit of it, smear it on a bit of kindling and you'll have a warm fire going in a few moments.

Regarding firewood, if this is going to be your sole source for heating your home you're going to need to replenish it often. If you are fortunate enough to live near heavily wooded areas I would encourage you to get out there early to start gathering wood even if you think you have more than enough. Fallen wood will be taken quickly and within a few weeks people will begin cutting down trees and will try to burn "green wood". If you must cut a tree you should be prepared to let it cure or age for about 3-6 months.

Some people have said that they'll just burn their furniture. Not a good idea since there are so many chemicals in your household furniture that are toxic.

Make sure that you have a reliable siphon kit. There are several on the market that are inexpensive, reliable, and far safer than sticking your mouth on a tube and sucking.

Propane: As a camper I keep several bottles of propane around for use with a Coleman stove and the mini heater that Coleman also makes. You can use these indoors in a pinch, but you need to make sure to put a large piece of ceramic tile underneath. You don't want to catch your wood, carpet, or vinyl flooring on fire.

I have a couple of oil-filled electric heaters in my home. While they take a while to warm up, once warmed the oil stays warm and give off heat for several hours after the power supply has been turned off. We've set up sleeping bags around this heater at night for the kids when we've lot power and they've slept comfortably.

The Sun: Not to sound like a lunatic tree hugger, but the sun provides us with a tremendous amount of energy. Learn how to capture its power. I do have a small solar panel that I have used to charge my rechargeable batteries. I've also built a solar oven in the past (though it takes about 2 hours to bake one pan of cornbread to just done). But if you've got it, and it's free, take it.

The Wind: There are detailed instructions on YouTube and all over the Internet for building your own portable wind turbine. Look them up, print out a copy, and then experiment NOW while we have the materials and the room to fail and fail again (the Thomas Edison school of applied science method).

Never underestimate the value of aluminum foil. You can use it deflect heat to where you need it.

If you've come this far with me you'll be able to understand why I'm going to give you this last-resort of fuel supply. Sorry, it's gross. In the Bible you can read stories of the Exodus. The Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years and cooked over fires made of something called shitims. What is a shitim? Well, what does the name imply? That's right. They burned not only the dung of cattle and goats, but in really hard times they burned their own. It will, according to ancient laws, defile the food and make it not worthy for sacrifice, but it is a burnable, renewable form of fuel. Dried properly it will burn nicely without much of a smell. OK...there, I said it. This would be your LAST resort, I'm sure.

My last and most important bit of advice is this: Use the least amount of fuel possible to supply your immediate needs. If you have a warm fire in your fireplace with two logs it doesn't make sense to add more wood. The hotter the fire the quicker the burn.

Lesson 2: Water for Life

2011-04-19T17:01:00.008-04:00

Generally speaking, most people don't give water a second thought. It's pretty much always been a part of our lives. We drink it, we cook in it, we play in it. It's often so plentiful that we allow it to run down our streets and we even use it to wash our cars.

But the fact is that water becomes very precious when it is hard to find.

Ask any serious prepper and they will tell you that WATER is the most important thing that you will be required to have; and it needs to be clean, drinkable water. So, what do you do when you go to turn on the tap and nothing comes out?

Well, if you're smart you've already made plans for this and you purchased a WaterBob and have it filled up and it sits in one of your bathtubs. A WaterBob is a tub-sized plastic sleeve that you fill up and seal. It comes with a hand pump as a method to get the water out, and they even recommend the best method for ensuring that your water stay drinkable.

I'm sure that you probably have a case or two of bottled water put away somewhere, too. So what happens when that is gone? Bottled water last longer if you can keep it in a cool, dark place, but this is only for about six months..and you really don't know how long it was in the store or the warehouse when you bought it. You can "refresh" it by pouring it back and forth between two pitchers for about 10 minutes and then boiling it for 2 minutes. The back and forth motion reintroduces oxygen to the water and makes it safer to drink.

Get a rainbarrel, or two, or three. In times of plenty you can use this water for your garden (you can buy attachments to hook it up to your garden hose quite nicely). The way that it comes off of your roof is fine for washing clothes, and watering your garden. But if you're going to drink it or use it for oral hygiene or cooking you will need to filter it completely, boil it for 2 minutes and then let it cool. Get water purification tabs for when you can't boil it.

There are plenty of sources of water that we overlook on a daily basis, though we have an aversion to using them:

1. Your water heater. You might have 60 gallons of water in there. Use it.

2. Canned goods that have been packed in water. Don't pour out the water that packed those beans away. Use it in a soup base. When water is scarce you should ALWAYS prepare thin soups that can double as a source of hydration. Plus, you'll need to eat less...it takes a lot of fluid to digest food.

3. Streams, ponds, lakes. If you have purchased a really good filtration system AND you also intend to purify it by boiling these are perfectly safe sources of water. The smell is what may turn you off, so this is where Gatorade, tea powder and different flavorings come in handy.

4. Wells. Suppose you have a well under your home but you have no power for the pump. You can use a 30 ft length of nylon paracord tied around the neck of a 16 oz water bottle and lower it down the well pipe to fill. You can add a fishing weight to the neck of the bottle if you're impatient. After a few minutes pull up the cord and repeat the process until you have the water you need. They make fancy well dippers, but they're about $50 each and they only hold about 1 liter of water. Just remember that when the sanitation systems begin to fail well water will likely be negative affected by organisms such as E-Coli. Add bleach, aerate for 10 minutes and then boil if you don't have a good filtration system AND purification method.

5. Friends/Bartering. Suppose you don't have a water source but you know someone who does. This is where your bartering will come into play. Maybe they don't know how to hunt but really would like to have some of the pork roast that you prepared last night because YOU killed a wild pig. Trade meat for water, but make sure that you boil it. You can't be sure that the water is clean until you take this step. If your neighbor is drawing water from an outside swimming pool this is especially important due to bacteria growth.

6. Plants. I know that it may seem odd, but there is a great deal of water stored in plants. Use your field guide to find out which one's you can eat. Be aware, however, that some plants can have a laxative effect when eaten in large quantities. I once ate too many wild berries and ended up with a horrible stomach problem. Beware, also, of insecticides and various pollutants in agricultural areas.

7. Public pools, parks, etc. I don't want to encourage you to get shot, but you may need to get out there and harvest water from your surrounding environment as best you can.

If you live near the beach (ocean, lake, or river) you can find relatively clean water by digging a hole approximately 6-10 feet from the waters edge. Dig about 4 or 5 feet and you should hit water. It will have been sand-filtered, but I still advise running through your fabric filters and sterilizing it out of an extreme sense of paranoia.

Filters are easy to come by at most hardware stores, but you can also use several layers of clean t-shirts in a pinch. Most simple filtration systems are sand-based and I recommend that you look into them. Some of you are smart enough to design your own system that works on a sand/drip process. In a pinch you can layer several coffee filters and slowly strain water through them..but again, BOIL IT BEFORE IT GOES INTO YOUR MOUTH.

Experts say that the least amount of water needed per person per day is 1 liter. This is combined water sources. Consider the water that is in a can of fruit cocktail a part of your liquid for the day. Remember that if you've stocked dehydrated or freeze dried foods you will need water for reconstituting those items.

I recommend that you practice efficient water storage practices. If you have plentiful water supplies being provided to you by nature you really need to find a way to store as much as you can.

Finally, I do recommend the ZeroWater and Brita filtration systems for home use. They don't KILL any bacteria, so some bleach or boiling will be necessary.

Step 1 - DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS

2011-04-18T16:46:00.021-04:00

I can't tell you what items to keep in your own home for emergency storage. This is to be determined by your own family likes, nutritional needs, storage options and, of course, budget. You should be able to determine how much you use in a month and then just start multiplying.

My suggestion is that you look into your pantry today and make a list of the items that you have. Make a note of which items you use often, which items you use occasionally, and which items you keep on hand for special times or for "comfort food". In my own home we use a lot of pasta, whole grains and natural oils, so we stocked up on non-conventional grain items such as millet and barley, but we also enjoy hot cereal made with hard, red wheat that we slightly grind and then steam.

One of the problems that I've heard die-hard food storers complain of is palate fatigue. They tire and bore of eating the same food over and over again. Even adults complain of eating rice if they eat it every day for a week, so if you have kids you need to factor in the need for variety in order to get them to eat. Don't forget about the value of candy, cookies, cakes, etc., and you don't have to go without these things if you plan and you learn how to prepare them in a different way. I've baked cakes over an open fire in a dutch oven that have been devoured eagerly by kids. For the most part, it's about having the right tools, practicing their use, and learning to adapt.

I have purchased many dehydrated and freeze dried items from a company called Emergency Essentials. I opened two cans of their product to try them and they are really quite good, so I ordered a few more items: Powdered Whole Eggs, Powdered Butter, Powdered Shortening, Freeze Dried Shredded Cheddar, among other things. I really appreciate these items since some perishable items will not be available.

If you've ever been in an extended power outage (2 or 3 weeks at a time) you've had some experience with cooking like a caveman, but you knew the lights were coming back on and the stores would be open again soon. WTSHTF we won't know when the stores will have food, and really, do we want to be out there fighting over a loaf of bread?

My food storage needs assume that you'll be hunting for meat and that you'll use your stored foods to supplement your nutritional needs. You don't hunt? Learn. You can't field dress, gut, and skin an animal? Figure it out. Once you've done it a few times you won't even notice the urge to vomit and you'll enjoy the meal you prepare. I also assume that you'll be gardening or foraging. Get a field guild for your area and learn which plants you can and cannot eat. Tiger lillies grow wild near my home and their stems and flowers are edible. The lower half of cattails are also quite rich in vitamin C and potassium and can be sliced and eaten raw. I am not Bear Grylls, so I won't be eating any grubs, nor am I Ozzie Osbourne, so biting the heads off of bats if out of the question.

I suggest that every home have a decent grill that can be used outdoors. If you have a fireplace get a grill apparatus to place inside. Pick up at least one large cast iron skillet and a large cast iron dutch oven (it needs the flat top for baking). Make sure that you have plenty of long handled, firesafe utensils and some very long oven mitts.

Do you have pets? Don't forget about storing food and supplies for them, but remember to store their food separately from your family food. Box and labels these items very clearly.

Buy enough items that you can use as barter goods. Don't smoke? Buy some cigarettes anyway and have them on hand to trade for food or fuel. Don't drink? Keep a few bottles on hand.

Don't neglect the power of condiments. Mustard is a great burn ointment. Vinegar can be used for antiseptic purposes, cleaning and preserving. Olive oil can be made into a lamp. Honey is a universally accepted antibacterial preparation. And don't forget to make sure that you have plenty of salt on hand - and I do mean PLENTY. Salt is crucial to maintaining hydration and electrolyte balance.

I will include a list of several links for your reference, but I want you to start with one that is easy to understand: www.thesurvivalmom.com.

12-Step Prepper Program - Lesson 1

2011-04-18T15:19:00.015-04:00

I've had a few friends ask me how to get started with making a home "stash" or survival bunker. I'll go into each of these subjects in-depth later on. STEP 1: DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS: If you have a family of two you really should plan for having a family of four. Why? Because you're going to underestimate how much food you will eat in a day, for starters. Then, you're going to have friends, neighbors, and family who will have not prepared the way you have. You should be prepared to share some of your goods AT BARTER with them. The Church of Latter Day Saints has a good, downloadable PDF that can help you determine your needs. Go to www.preparedsociety.com to see what the can help you with. STEP 2: WATER: If there are two of you residing in the home you will need a minimum of 1 gallon of water per person per day. If you have no way to get water (via a pump, well, etc.) you need to know that you can't store water for long. You can pick up a couple of really good water filtration systems that work on a drip at many different retailers. Lehmans.com is one of those stores that caters to Amish customers. I would also recommend that you purchase a pocket filtration system such as the Katedyn Hiker. You can always go without washing for a week or two, but you need water every day for drinking. I've used the Katedyn Hiker on stream water and been fine after drinking it. Of course, it doesn't remove the odor. STEP 3: FUEL: If you live in a northern climate fuel is going to mean the life or death of you. Whether or not you are going to use wood, gas, oil, or a generator you will always need the basic raw material to produce fuel. There are many fuels available, some that you've never thought of. Have YOU ever burned a cowpie? Did you know that in biblical times it was not unheard of to use human excrement as fuel? I'm just letting you know. STEP 4: SHELTER: So, you plan on staying in your house. Sure you do. For so long as you are able you'll want to make sure that you have adequate protection from not only the elements but ALSO from anyone who might want to force you to SHARE your shelter with them. There is safety in numbers, but those numbers can also cause a great deal of stress unless you have adequate space for everyone to have some privacy and sense of ownership. STEP 5: SECURITY: Most of us think of security in terms of police protection. Think again. You also cannot secure your space with just owning weapons and having plenty of ammo. You need to be smart and save your ammo for the procurement of food (hunting) in order to make your food storage last longer. What I mean by security is simple; Do you know your neighbors? Do you have adequate lighting around your home that does NOT require electricity? Do you have any warning systems set up to alert you to an intruder? Do you have the materials necessary to repair your space in order to protect it? STEP 6: MONEY: In my opinion, WTSHTF money will be useless. I also don't think that gold, silver, or jewelry will be worth anything at all. You need to have items on hand that can be used for bartering. Do you have extra canned goods that you can barter for fuel? Are you a good hunter and you can barter meat for a cup of sugar? When I talk about money in this section it will have nothing to do with money as we know it. STEP 7: COMMUNICATION: I think we all know that the internet will be down. Our telephones will likely be useless, as well. How will you communicate? Do you own a shortwave radio? How about a set of good walkie-talkies that have a five or seven mile range? Do you know how to interpret the message and rumors that you will hear? STEP 8: MOBILITY: We're used to sitting down, turning a key, and rolling down the road. Forget it. You're going to use the gasoline in your tank to keep a generator going if you're lucky enough to have one. Bikes, wagons, good shoes. Plan to be able to repair all of them. This also goes to the subject of bartering. STEP 9: LIGHTING: I put this next to last because while I consider this essential, you can get by with very little of it in your everyday activities. If you have small children you'll want a secure way to provide lighting. There are many options besides candles. STEP 10: HYGIENE: Now, everyone has different needs, but we all need TOILET PAPER. One roll per person per week is typical. We'll to into this, as well. STEP 11: ENTERTAINMENT: I know this doesn't seem essential, but it really is. Think about all of the non-electric ways that we used to play when we were kids. Playing cards, books, crayons, chalk, paper, games. STEP 12: FAITH: I cannot stress how important this one is. No matter your faith, you will needed it. And you will need the support of friends, family, neighbors. I'm not suggesting we all turn into little Elmer Gantry's, but having a good Bible and a couple of books that bring you encouragement can help.

Surviving What's Coming

2011-04-05T17:31:00.003-04:00

I cannot express this often enough; NOW is the time to prepare. I don't know how you want to do it. I won't even ask you to give up anything. What I WILL ASK is that you begin to formulate your plan; begin to put aside a few extra days' worth of food in a secure location. Most of all, make yourself right with God. We're really quite blessed to live during this time, friends.

Ezekial 4:

1 “Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. 3 Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of Israel.

4 “Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself.[a] You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. 5 I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the people of Israel.

6 “After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. 7 Turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her. 8 I will tie you up with ropes so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your siege.

9 “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. 10 Weigh out twenty shekels[b] of food to eat each day and eat it at set times. 11 Also measure out a sixth of a hin[c] of water and drink it at set times. 12 Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel.” 13 The LORD said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”

14 Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign LORD! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.”

15 “Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.”

16 He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair, 17 for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of[d] their sin.

Egypt, Food Prices, and the Cost of American Blue Jeans

2011-02-15T15:15:00.004-05:00

In the last few weeks the world has changed. Egypt experienced a so-called democratic uprising, Tunisians filled the streets and demanded change, and in America we've seen the mainstream media finally begin to take notice of the rising cost of food, textiles, and the changing demographic of America. Yes, some of the results are coming in from the failed 2010 Census and they reveal that America is under assault.

For some time now America has fought hard against welcoming the brightest of the world to its shores. America has worked had to become the last flophouse for the world's most slothful, lazy, and demanding parasites. These recent immigrants to America, legal and otherwise, demand that WE Americas who have worked hard, played by the rules, and pursued our dreams, owe THEM something.

According to the Washington Times, our national debt now at least equals our national economy. In other words, as a nation we're worth more dead than alive.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/14/debt-now-equals-total-us-economy/

This is dangerous stuff here, folks. For those of us without the high-brow education of Tim Geithner, for instance, we learned in our high school economics class that once your expenses surpass 40% of your earnings you are in financial peril. We learned (at least I did in 1975) that once you hit the point where your expenses are equal to that of your earnings you have to modify your expenditures. Simply put: WHEN YOU'RE IN A HOLE, QUIT DIGGING.

To go back to an earlier point, our changed demographic landscape in America isn't doing us any favors. According to the U.S. Census Data of the 2010 Census, Hispanics are growing in population at a rate faster than that of blacks or white non-Hispanics.

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/uvn_univision-communications-reports-2010-census-data-shows-hispanic-growth-1478660.html

In many parts of the country these very communities have suffered an increase in crime, a decrease in funds available for emergency services, and overcrowding in schools and correctional facilities. Property owners and those with legitimate incomes, like myself, are being forced to ante up more and more tax dollars to fund city and country programs to keep these recently-arrived immigrants (read, illegals) housed, clothed, protected, fed, medicated, and to keep their children in school.

America is indeed under assault, but this is not a frontal attack. No, this is the type of attack science can only explain. We are the host, and the vast numbers of poorly skilled, uneducated, and penniless illegal immigrants coming to America are the parasites. I have a 17 year old son who cannot find a job in the typical trades for his age group because those jobs are now being held by adult workers. I have seen my local markets and retailers printing product information in Spanish and English, yet I see no such courtesy given to those immigrants from Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Japan, or China.

As of 2010 there were approximately 43.5 million Americans receiving food stamps. Can we still refer to this is the Land of the Free? With this many people receiving food stamps is it even possible for those of us who are NOT taking government aid to keep giving and giving until we are ALL wards of the State? Add to this the assinine regulations that our Congress and President have imposed upon us and I have to question the real motives of these purveyoyrs of classic Cloward & Piven tactics. The first line of the Cloward & Piven strategy reads: "Cloward-Piven is a strategy for forcing political change through orchestrated crisis." After reading their website, http://cloward-piven.com/, I really have to ask myself why this group is revered and the Tea Party is reviled.

Our politicians have traded their integrity for votes, their commitment to the continuation of America is now in question as we hear them speak of income inequality and immigration reform in the same sentence. Yet, when you or I speak of enforcing our laws, protecting our borders, and forcing illegal immigrants to leave our country and come back legally we are referred to as teabagging racists.

I am preparing myself, my home, and my family for what is going to be a long and extended economic depression in America. Most assuredly I will not live long enough to see America dig herself out of the hole that all of the well-intentioned of the world dug for her people. But I can start to lay the foundation for a new America, a bright America, an America that our forefathers would be proud of.

Hurricane Survival Wish List

2010-11-12T12:20:00.012-05:00

When Hurricane Andrew hit Miami in 1992 I was pretty sure that our little family had everything we needed. We had gallons and gallons of water plus had filled our large, roman-style tub full of water for basic washing and sanitation needs. We had plenty of non-perishable food items (more on this later), and lots of snack items handy. Yep. We were sure that we would be just fine.

Then the electricity didn't come back for a very long time; not just at my house, but for an entire community. Within the first day after the storm there was a rush on bags of ice with the commodity being sold for upwards of $20 for a small, five-pound bag. Violence erupted at the sales sites for ice, but law enforcement was busy elsewhere, mostly arresting the hundreds and hundreds of looters who had taken to the street within HOURS of the storm to raid shopping centers, malls, etc. On the radio we heard reports of people stealing TV's, stereo systems, cars, etc., hardly the necessities of life. A small raid at an ice truck (also stolen from the City Ice Company) was not a big deal.

As the days became more violent our Governor, Lawton Chiles, still would not lift a finger, or a telephone, to call upon the Federal Government to come in to restore order, to offer assistance, or to coordinate any relief efforts. Dade County had literally become a war zone until finally, showing more testicular fortitude than our governor, the director of Emergency Management for Dade County, Kate Hale, went on national television and infamously called out, "Where the hell is the cavalry?". Only THEN did Lawton Chiles get off his Prozac-riddled ass and make the call to the White House.

Mr. Chiles then instructed all law enforcement to STOP arresting looters which left me and thousands of other citizens at risk in their own homes. It is laughable, however, that the police department didn't find themselves entirely powerless. Rather than arresting the looters, they got a long car ride to the middle of the swamp, at night, where they lost their shoes, and were told to walk back to town. For many, this was not a survivable situation.

Here I offer the list of things that I wish I had stocked for myself and my family:

1. Water purification system. Water was coming out of the tap, but we were told to not use it because of contamination.
2. Charcoal grill with at least 5 bags of charcoal. We had a gas stove, but you have no idea how hot a kitchen can become with no windows, no ventilation, in 92 degree weather with high humidity. Cooking outside would have been preferable.
3. Tons of baby wipes. We had "some" because we had an infant, but not nearly enough. A baby wipe on the back of the neck and under the arms a couple of times a day can do WONDERS for your state of mind.
4. Plastic utensils. We had some, but not nearly enough.
5. Plastic garbage bags, cat litter, lysol spray, and a large paint bucket with a toilet seat on top. Need I say more.
6. A gas-powered generator and a couple of plug-in, rechargable generators. The rechargable type were not available then, but now they are. I have two of them that I keep plugged in CONSTANTLY.
7. A small, cube-style fridge. Something like this can be run from one of those small, rechargeable generators, and can be used to keep prepared powdered milk cool. But of more importance, there is something so refreshing about drinking something cool when it is so darned hot. Keep a container of baby wipes in there, too, to be used in case someone overheats.
8. Lyson or Clorox wipes. Use these for cleaning up that toilet seat on top of the paint bucket, for wiping down doorknobs, window latchings, etc.
9. Something that is NEW that I would have killed to have would be battery or solar powered outdoor lighting. There are motion-activated, battery powered lights on the market. When law enforcement is too busy to get to you, you need to be able to see what is coming near your home at night.
10. Cast-iron cookware. This type of cookware is durable and I can't say enough about how invaluable your cast iron will become once you begin to use it. I recommend at least one skillet and one dutch oven. With practice, you can actually use your dutch oven for baking on charcoal.
11. Dish soap, brillo, loads of paper towel.
12. A hand-crank can opener, a wire whisk, a hand-crank egg beater (for mixing pancakes, etc.), an old-timey bottle opener, an ice pick.
13. Make sure you have plenty of shampoo, deodorant, feminine supplies (even if you don't need them, somebody else may). Mini-pads work great on the inside of a cap to keep your hat clean and keep you clean and cool.
14. Sunscreen, burn ointment, talcum powder, insect repellent for when the mosquitoes move in (and they will!!!). Speaking of mosquitoes, if your screens are torn, use old pantyhose and sew them to the screen.
15. Pens, pencils, paper, crayons, magic markers, legal pads, a tape measure, a camera with a fully charged battery or at least 5 of the disposable ones (for recording damage).
16. A plastic wading pool or washtub, liquid laundry detergent and softener, and a strong stick (a broom handle works). Strong, nylon cord and several wooden clothes pins. You can wash your clothing in this little pool and it works fine. Just don't use too much detergent because you want to rinse just once.
17. An airhorn, a gun, ammo. Work out with your neighbors some form of alliance for defending your community. Let them know that the airhorn is an alarm sound and a call for help.
18. Plenty of games, books, etc. A couple of decks of cards, games of monopoly, scrabble, etc. Games for kids are crucial, as are crayons and coloring books. We had a small, battery tape player for our daughter that she played quite often to hear "her songs" to help her sleep at night. Get a few good books and have them stored. Take turns reading aloud or just share the books.
19. Back in the day I learned how to make a "stove" from an metal coffee can. Invert the open can, use a bottle opener to punch a few holes at the top to vent the heat, and place a candle (on a saucer) underneath. It takes a while, but you can boil a small pan of water in about 10 minutes.
20. Sterno. At a cost of a little over $1 a can, can you afford to NOT have it?

If you're lucky you can keep your sense of humor.

Preparations and Ruminations

2010-10-26T11:48:00.002-04:00

I've done a lot of thinking about how I expect the population of America to react to the election just a week away. Either way, there are going to be huge numbers of people upset with the results. Either way, there will be tremendous blame going around. And there will be anger. Just how much anger spills over into your neighborhood remains to be seen.

Already there are reports of voting machines not working properly, so there are accusations of voter fraud buzzing the airwaves. Groups like ACORN are still up to their same old tricks, and media outlets who claim to be non-partisan (OpenSecrets.org) are making the mistake of following the orders of their primary donors (George Soros) and are either failing to report the truth (public union money outspending any other sector) in the financing of this election, or using their platform to poison the minds of people who are unable to seek the entire truth. NPR fired a well-known, liberal news analyst (Juan Williams), supposedly over this intolerant remarks about Muslims. But, we know that it is because he made the comment on Fox News that he was fired. He would have been reprimanded had he said the same on NPR, but would still have his job there. Of course, I would hope that Mr. Williams find this a transformative moment in his life, causing him to leave "the dark side" and come over to the side of the "Light of Liberty".

I'm a naturally paranoid person and I will admit with a moderate amount of chagrin that I have, on occasion, overreacted to change. But I have also learned how to listen to that "little voice" in my head and my heart that tells me when danger is afoot. Women have an instinctive ability to sense danger, something that anthropologists would tell us is from our days of having to protect our young from saber toothed tigers and such. Maybe. I know that I have a very strong instinct toward survival and protection, so I'm going to do everything I must do to protect myself and my family. Most women "just know" when something is not right. It's only when we allow politically correct thoughts pop into our head that we get hurt - or killed - by the bad guys. Right now my instincts are telling me to hold on to what I've got, prepare for the worst, and try to find peace through securing my home and my property.

Just suppose that you planned on cashing out part of your paycheck on a Friday and you went to your bank just as you have done every payday during your entire life. What if the bank was closed, its assets seized, and your money were inside that vast computer file of numbers that you couldn't access? What happens when the U.S. government does not pay the huge debt it owes to China? Will our money be worth anything at that point?

I have made a plan, I'm carrying it out, and I'm encouraging other moms to do the same. For the price of a new pair of shoes you could buy some extra food and store it. For the cost of a tank of gas you could buy a camp stove and fuel. Hunger is a powerful motivator, I've been told, and it can cause people to do the unthinkable when it gets bad enough. I've learned that the light of a single candle can keep a man from freezing to death, so, if you live in a northern climate, do you have enough candles?

Do you know to kill an animal such as a rabbit or a squirrel in order to feed yourself? Would you have the stomach to be able to clean the animal for cooking? Do you have a means to protect your family from the raids that WILL occur in the aftermath of a complete default of our banking system? Do you have fuel to cook with, do you know how to build a fire and cook on it? Do you have a few tools that you might need for simple survival? A few sheets of plywood, matches, nails, screws, sheets of plastic, a tarp or two. How about a good first aid kit?

In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in Miami I experienced first-hand the crazed emotions of people who felt stranded. They were waiting for someone to come save them, personally, and help was slow in coming. I was attacked in my car and had to use an umbrella to ward off an attack. A group of looters came to my home and, thankfully, I was armed. I was also ready to use my weapon to defend myself and the toddler sitting on my hip. Our governor at the time, Lawton Chiles, would not permit looters to be arrested, so they took over the streets and roamed house to house, taking as they pleased. Law enforcement was on the job, but the storm had taken down all street signs and building landmarks. You would be waiting a long time for a cop IF you could get through on the telephone.

I've been making plans, getting my kids educated, and spreading the word. I know that some people may call me crazy, and this is fine. I've not been buying gold, but I've got peace of mind.

The Liberty Killers

2010-03-06T08:17:00.007-05:00

Over the last few weeks the Nation has witnessed a change, of sorts, coming from the quasi-leaders in Washington, D.C. While not admitting to defeat, and certainly not standing before the American people with any confessions of truth, the Democrat-controlled world is beginning to unravel. The People, it seems, may yet have a voice.

Plato said, "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."

I believe that most Americans are good people. We work when we are able, we take care of our families, we do our civic duty, we obey the law, and we are willing to pay our fair share. Good Americans are seeing their dreams chipped away. Good Americans are learning that the ideals once held as virtuous are now considered dangerous to society. It seems that today a man is not merely responsible for taking care of his OWN family, but rather he must toil in order to care for the families of ALL men. The "village" mentality has seeped into the halls of democracy and has brought with it the loss of individual liberty and family values that had previously built this great Nation.

In the words of John Adams, "All the perplexities, confusion, and distress in America arise not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, nor from want of honor or virtue, so much as downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit, and circulation."

Today our "leaders" as a group appear completely unable to grasp the concept of commerce, money, or profit. The members of the Liberal Elite despite profits and have found a way to bend the ear of those now in power to punish those they deem corrupt enough to manage "a profit". These fools believe that by punishing profit they are benefiting the working man. However, how much of the ill-gotten gains of Government actually find their way into the mouth of the working man?

As a candidate, Barack Obama made 510 promises during his campaign, most of which went unnoticed and will never be realized. Mr. Obama demonstrated then a clear ignorance of the value of work, the importance of capitalism, and an unwavering hatred of the right of a man to work hard, keep what he earns, and spend it as he wishes. In only one year Mr. Obama has created a Nation in which government worker salaries outpaced the salaries of private sector employees. He has created more division among the American people, brought class-warfare to the top of the political discussion. He has created an atmosphere of doubt, fear, and suspicion among Americans.

While the world reels in their economic collapse, Mr. Obama has continued to "sell America" and her future to our enemies. Our Congress has failed to authorize the drilling permits they promised in 2008, and we are yet even farther from so-called energy independence. The civil rights of Americans are suffering more now than they ever did under George Bush. While the liberal media turns a blind-eye toward the extension of The Patriot Act (the same Patriot Act that Obama decried as a candidate), the media remain a compliant, willing partner in the destruction of the American individual.

Our schools have become a breeding ground for the moral vacuum that pervades America today. Our children are no longer learning of greatness through individual work, but rather they are learning that the individual is irrelevant to today's society, that only through groups and associations of like-minded people can any good be accomplished.

My son recently brought home a book from his English class, "Great Speeches by American Women". In it I could not find a single speech from a woman with a conservative background. Every one of the American women in this book was, in my opinion, a man hater. But more importantly, it was their ideal of what America should be that struck me. Our public schools force compulsory thought onto our students every day. They are literally programming failure and hatred of individual strength into the minds of our youth. One of the speeches included passages decrying conservatism and conservative thinkers, and I thought it odd that our public schools could get away with promoting one thought process over another.

But then I came across a quote by William T. Harris, a former educator, who saw the danger that public schools posed to our children and to our nation. "Our schools have been scientifically designed to prevent over-education from happening. The average American should be content with their humble role in life, because they're not tempted to think about any other role."

Can we really blame America for voting for someone as inept as Barack Obama?

Old Charlie Rich Song.... Behind Closed Doors

2010-01-08T08:23:00.005-05:00

So, I was wondering...who exactly is taking their hair down "behind closed doors" in the healthcare reform deliberations? We'll never know, and certainly it is supposed to be that way; at least according to our elected representatives. Now, I question with absolute absurdity the qualms that I have about this. After all, I'm a nothing--a nobody--and I really won't understand the complexities of the writing of a Bill as intrusive as the current healthcare legislation. However, there are lots and lots of people out there who are much more intelligent that I, and wouldn't it be great if I could get them to peek under the door for me?

I was particularly impressed when Chris Dodd decided to step down from the Senate. Why now? If Dodd has so much support in his home state why is he accepting the winds of change, the turning of the tide, and stepping down from his seat in the Senate? Can't the rest of the liberal government take a hint?

Would folks like the Tax Foundation, for instance, see that our taxes are increasing exponentially and give us an opportunity to speak publicly about our concerns?

Would the ACLU, for instance, see an unfair intrusion into the personal liberty of Americans by the Federal Government by linking our healthcare with our taxes? Will the same ACLU find it unconstitutional for the government to force healthy, young adults to pay $5,000 a year for health insurance or face a fine...or go to jail?

I wonder if I'm old enough to hand the rigors of federal prison. Can I as a 51-year old woman handle the tribulation of going to jail in protest of what I deem to be a violation of my constitutional rights? The federal government cannot force me to drive a car, to get on a jet, to travel outside of the country. The federal government cannot force me to take pills, get vaccinated, or accept the counsel of strangers about when I should die.

The federal government, apparently, is botching everything these days and it's time for all of us to become proactive in teaching the government that they serve US--the people--, and not the other way around.

Pelosi, Reid and the Camel's Ass Under the Tent

2009-12-12T22:07:00.004-05:00

This week the buzz is that the Senate democrats have been floating the idea of dropping the age of enrollment for Medicare. Sounds great, doesn't it? To many the idea of being able to get that "free" health care from "the gubment" would appear as manna from heaven. Then there are people like me; the realists.

You see, with the funding of Medicare being cut it is simply not possible to add an additional 10-20 million Americans to this risk pool. Yes, Medicare is a risk pool, and as with any insurance, the risk is spread among the participants. I've wondered if by adding those aged 55-64 to the pool the Obama administration believes that the financial risks will be lessened. Fools.

First, employers will "dump" employees who are between 55-64 in droves from their insurance. They may even begin to fire those employees (please don't use pleasant euphemisms such as Lay Off). The preferred age for employees in this country will be 26-50 and age discrimination will be off and running. Add this to the BMI discrimination underway right now. Face it: If you're fat and old YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. You eat too much, you breathe too much, and you take up too much space with no real prospect for adding anything to society. I guess someone needs to inform Michael Moore, Gerald Nadler and Barney Frank that their time is up, too.

My daughter in college has asked aloud, "Why am I doing this when I'll probably never get a job doing what I have worked so hard for?"

I fear for my son who so proudly wishes to serve his country in the Marine Corps. You see, he has the faith that our nation will return to its original glory, to its original founding. I'm more cynical and I suppose I'm just downright bitter.

I've seen the last year as being one of the most destructive EVER on America and her values. Yet I, too, must have faith -- Faith that God will bless our nation and our people. Faith that God is control of everything and that He alone knows our destiny. Perhaps God has decided that America needs to start over. Maybe that reset button is close enough for all of us to press if we'd just reach out together to do it.

Belt Tightening 101 - Refresher Course

2009-11-12T18:42:00.002-05:00

Taking a look at my grocery list today I had to seriously think about pruning my list of "wants" and thin the list to concentrate on my "needs". It would be great to be able to afford four New York Strip steaks this weekend, but at a price tag of $7.59 a pound, I think we'll be grilling burgers instead. Sure, we can dress them up, but they're not going to be steak.

I try to make sure that we have "the fixin's" that everybody likes; french fries, for instance. But at $2.00 for a 16 oz bag of frozen I find myself opting, instead, for a 10-pound bag of taters for $3.99. To me, this is wise investing. I know my target demographic (a hungry family), I know the risk associated with investing in a bag of potatoes, and I know that in the potato market there are various ways to improve my liquidity by using this asset wisely. Used wisely, $4.00 worth of taters can stretch $25 worth of meat into seven dinnertime meals for my family.

When I make sloppy joes, for instance, I always throw a couple of finely diced potatoes in with the meat as it browns. It stretches the meat and nobody recognizes the potatoes once they get covered with sauce. Moms like me are tricky and we're smart.

Perhaps the Obama administration, Larry Sommers, Tim Geithner, and perhaps even Barack himself would learn a thing or two from housewives across America - if they would climb down from their ivory towered high horses for just a bit.

We know from experience, but mostly we know from surviving lean times how to work within a budget. We've learned that we can't simply open our neighbors' wallets and take a few bills out when we come up short. We've learned how to use that $4.00 bag of taters to get seven meals rather than spending nearly that amount of buy enough product for only one meal.

Mr. Obama, if you're in the mood to hear from us we're willing to give you some good advice. Spend less than you take in, and learn to live within your means. Also, I'm sure that even in your culture, Mr. Obama, stealing is against the law.

November 3, 2009 Elections

2009-11-03T14:21:00.003-05:00

Today there is a small ballot issue in my now hometown of St. Joseph County, Indiana which involves adding an additional income tax of 0.25% to the taxes that we pay. I believe this measure is going to go down in flames because our Common Council, a group of which the majority are democrats, recently voted (against overwhelming public opposition) to allow the City of South Bend to gleen from the residents of the County an additional 1% in income taxes to be used for police and fire services within the City of South Bend ONLY and NOT to be used for the surrounding areas.

Problem is, while the scare tactics caused our County Common Council to cave, the Mayor's office knew that there was a million dollar emergency rainy day fund that could be tapped at will. This fact was not disclosed prior to the vote. Then, as if the monarch Steve Leucke wasn't happy with the additional monies, he hired a "green" guy for the city. Salary is estimated at over $100k a year.

So, at the end of today I hope that the politicians get a clear message:

WE'RE MAD AS HELL AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!

Flu Season! Yuck!

2009-10-20T07:45:00.003-04:00

It appears that my household will not be spared from the flu this year, after all. My healthy teenagers have, blessedly and all at the same time, become ill. The fever, body aches, nausea, sore throats, headaches and generally crappy feeling have hit us all at once.

As "the mom" I'm not permitted to get sick at the same time as the rest of the family, and certainly if I do get sick I will be stuck here, alone, to care for and tend to my own illness. I feel like this is what the Obama administration is doing to moms everywhere.

We're being expected to care for our families, tend to the youth of America, and when it's our turn to be taken care of, when we're old and frail, we'll be left on our own. I think about the promises that our government made to my generation, that if we would just keep paying all of those taxes that we, too, would find our pot of gold at the end of our lifelong rainbow. We were assured that Social Security was solvent, that the actuarial computations made for sustaining the program were sound. We were given this promise when we were still in diapers, all through high school and college, and into our early careers. We kept sending out our messages of doubt, asking our elected representatives to be honest with us. "Please tell us the truth!", we begged.

Congressman Claude Pepper of Florida made his entire career on fighting for Social Security benefits increases for senior citizens. He pushed hard for increased spending for Medicare, for better protections for senior citizens rights. As a young person I despised him. My thought was that the old farts should just go off an die. Now I am the old fart, and the kids just want me to go off and die.

I will admit that my generation provided little sacrifice to this Nation. My generation was the one that protested "the establishment". My generation hung Richard Nixon out to dry. My generation embraced Mao, Che, Castro, Kruschev. My generation made love - not war. My generation wanted equality for all, but we also embraced class warfare as a religion.

So when you wonder how we got to where we are today, look at today's 50 and 60 year olds.

Inheritances

2009-10-01T08:45:00.007-04:00

Lately I've been thinking about inheritances. An inheritance is defined, generally speaking, as something that passes from one generation to the next. It can be property, traits, birthrights.

When a parents dies, for instance, they will often leave to their heirs an inheritance of some financial significance. Typically a parent will bequest a portion of his or her estate to their heirs as a token of appreciation, love, or, in my case, disdain for a child, grandchild, or other loved one. For the beneficiary of an inheritance it is not enough to know that you were considered, but the beneficiary wishes to know that they were indeed considered worthy.

When I think of the inheritance that our elected officials are now considering for our beneficiaries (the future generations of Americans), I can't help but acknowledge the obvious fact that they (the Congress, Senate, and the President) believe some people worthy and others not. They consider worthy those individuals and groups who have failed in their lives. They consider the inability to attain self-reliance and responsibility to be worthy of emptying the wealth of a nation into the coffers of those who whine, complain, and blame others for their misfortune.

Progressives for decades have exploited the very groups they claim to defend. I have often asked why blacks, for instance, would continue to vote for the same politicians decade after decade when clearly it is the politician who benefits. Public housing is still substandard.
Our education system is still failing to prepare ALL people for a future of productivity. We have, by way of election, de-funded our inheritance and pillaged the coffers of the dead out of political correctness.

When all is said and done...

2009-09-01T14:05:00.003-04:00

...a lot is said and little is done.

The funeral is over and the questions linger. Why is the largest question. How is the next one. When is the last question.

Why? Why did things turn out the way they did. Why were there so many years and decades of mistrust, of accusations, of bitterness.

How? How do I forgive? How do I reconcile myself to the fact that he is never coming back and will never hear the truth?

When? When will this pain and emptiness go away?

If Government Healthcare is so great....

2009-08-01T22:09:00.005-04:00

Finish this sentence:

I look forward to going on Medicare because_________________________________.

If you answered "because it's free", stop reading now. None of what I say will appeal to you and you won't appreciate how imperiled our Republic is at this moment in time.

I don't know about you, but I never want to go on Medicare. Yes, I know I've paid into the system. Yes, I know that private insurance may be cost prohibitive. Yes, I know that everyone is expected to go onto Medicare when they reach that certain age.

DO YOU WANT THIS GUY AS YOUR DOCTOR?

Now comes Obama, professing to have the answer to all of our healthcare needs, oddly enough, as an expert in, what else, the law. His wife, also a lawyer, worked with The University of Chicago Medical Center, but work is such an ambiguous word. It's been pretty well publicized that she spent little time actually earning her six figure salary during the last two years of her clouded tenure there. After all, isn't this the same location which was the scene to one of the more infamous patient dumping schemes? It was under the sugar-coated "Urban Health Initiative" that Medicare-only funded patients were given free rides to clinics (all outside of the area) to receive their medical care. Patients with better insurance were given the spots within the hospital that their poorer, government dependent brethren were forced out of. In fact, most of those forced our of the hospital were poor blacks and hispanics, sent to clinics whose Medicaid and Medicare patient load was not as high as that of an inner-city hospital. Yet, those clinics were not privey to the influence of the wife of a United States Senator, nor were they on the receiving end of millions of dollars of grant money and donor gratuities. Yes, those clinics who were forced to accept these patients were also forced to keep the dirty business of patient dumping to themselves.

To understand this entire concept one must make sure to comprehend that words have meaning. We all know by now that the word "urban" means poor, and usually refers to a person of color. But, in today's current political climate we all know that a Black First Lady nor her husband would EVER be considered racists, would they? In order for Mrs. Obama to sell this "initiative" she hired none other than her husbands' current advisor, David Axelrod. Together, Axelrod and Obama devised a plan which would move patients from the University hospital if they received government healthcare. There were stories published of the "Tylenol" treatment for severe injuries. Patients were often bused to outlying clinics when they presented to the emergency room with fractures, deep lacerations, or, in some cases, when children presented with high fevers and convulsive symptoms. Many of these symptoms and injuries were of enough severity to have warranted inpatient hospitalization, yet these patients received no more treatment than a would get from a school nurse.

Most of us enjoy a relationship with our doctors and we feel confident in their abilitiy to treat our medical needs. Otherwise, we simply switch doctors. In my case, I like to refer to them as being "fired". If someone gets money from me to do a job, and then I find someone else to do the job, that pretty much means, they're fired, right?

Now, members of our government like to pretend that it is THEY who placed themselves in a position of authority over us. Please allow me to remind all of you that it is THEY who work for YOU. YOU have the authority, as guaranteed by the Constitution, to FIRE these people who believe themselves to be your masters.

Daniel Webster wrote, "The inherent right in the people to reform their government, I do not deny; and they have another right, and that is to resist unconstitutional laws without overturning the government."

Do YOU have the will to resist? Ronald Reagan reminded me years ago, "Man is not free unless government is limited." Is it time for us to resist government expansion? You decide for yourselves, but I made up my mind months ago.

Hard To Swallow...and then some!

2009-07-05T19:05:00.001-04:00

You know, it seems like only yesterday that we were all listening to the members of the media bash Bush for everything from the economy to global warming. Oh? Yes, it was just yesterday. Sorry.

Some things never change in this world of ours, but this past week I saw a remarkable admission by some members of the press: The press, it seems, does not appreciate being controlled. This admission struck me as particularly odd in this day and age, especially when I think about the fact that I, too, am able to now provide my own editorial opinion at will. The truth of the matter is that the press is uncomfortable in a position of being spoon-fed. They are, moreover, at their most confident and their happiest when it is THEY who determine the scope, content, and direction of public discussion and public policy. Thomas Jefferson had a unique relationship with the press. He placed within their hands a power that they ultimately used to torment him and his presidential policies. It is a wise person who understands that a snake cannot control its determination to bite.

In the book, “Jefferson and the Press”, by Jerry W. Knudsen, Knudsen accurately points out that the press has always been partisan, and more accurately, has always been controlled by those who control its purse strings. To speak very plainly, the members of the media are fully aware of who butters their bread. Through their writing, speaking, and editorial positions they can make or break a political candidate, a business, an individual, an idea.

In the past few days we’ve seen ABC produce an infomercial for the liberal healthcare agenda item of Barack Obama. Without hesitation, this press outlet refused to acknowledge that opinions of dissent exist by refusing to air paid advertising by groups who oppose the highly controversial and expensive Obamacare measures before the Congress now. This Congress, I might add, has made it clear that any legislation regarding healthcare will not be exhibited to “the people” for a full week before voting on it. This occurred with the stimulus package, the TARP program, the auto-union partnership co-op, and most recently, the Waxman-Markey energy legislation. Now it is clear that the Congress and Senate intend to force the American people into personal bankruptcy by thrusting one more spike into our coffins and into the wombs of mothers of yet to be born Americans. The mainstream media has been a coconspirator in this massive extortion against Americans, and surely, they can expect some sort of reward from Obama.

How will Obama reward the press? Why, through a bailout, of course! When this happens (and you know that it will), few outlets will be able to compete against the purse strings that Obama will open and close, unleashing hungry hell hounds under the guise of journalism.

The Problem with Neo-Con Feminists (Like Me)

2009-06-12T09:31:00.000-04:00

I am not your typical conservative woman. I also consider myself a feminist. First, let me make it clear that I have every intention of remaining in my traditional marriage - you know the kind - one man, one woman. I am, for all intention, a traditional wife and mother; I do the cleaning (well, that's a stretch!!), the laundry, the cooking, care for the kids' needs, etc. I don't have a problem with women's pro football, but then, predictably, sadly, somebody had to come up with the sexist idea to have women playing football in lingerie. When will we girls get to see jock-strap football, and do we even want to?

There was a time, however, when I was out there in the working world, competing for jobs and promotions against men who had equal qualifications. I recall being passed over for a promotion at a software publisher due to my competitor having "a family to support", while I was single, carefree, and had no real obligations to anyone but myself. Is it really fair, even as it was twenty years ago, for a woman to be deemed less needful of a promotion and the salary that goes along with it simply because, as my boss put it, "You have guys buy you stuff all the time. You don't need the extra money!"?

Now, there are some jobs that simply must remain gender-specific; OB nurses, for instance. Sorry fellas, but when a woman is in labor THE LAST thing she wants is a set of male hands upon her body! The other would be jihadist. This should be reserved for lunatic men who have no idea of what their future will be, only that it will be limited.

I have always found it distasteful that some women of today's generation have again resorted to sexuality to earn their living, some of thing performing vulgar acts on camera in order to gain some short-lived recognition. This hurts the cause of feminism across the globe, and it allows the use of terms like slut, ho, bimbo, bitch, and others to be used in common language all over the entertainment industry. I've been in offices where I was greeted by a young woman with her breasts popping out of her too-tight shirt. I've been disappointed by the level of customer services I received by those young women, many of them either appearing stupid or actually being guilty of extreme levels of stupidity. Meanwhile, the boss is usually some middle-aged has-been who gets a kick out of watching her walk around. Sad. Try being a 50-year-old woman with career experience, dignity, and self-respect trying to compete for that same job. The 50-year-old has no chance. I am that 50-year-old. My life experience and my career expertise mean nothing in the face of eye-popping boobies and the brainless adoration that a 20-year-old sexpot can offer.

This week David Letterman had a moment in his career when he could have taken the high road, when he could have made the decision to not make a joke about the rape of a woman (of any age), and not referred to a hairstyle as "slutty". He made the wrong choice and a firestorm has erupted.

In this week we've seen Sarah Palin's daughter offered up for rape to A-Rod, with Sarah Palin being once again belittled by the mainstream media. Was Letterman out of line? Yes, but where were the feminist groups on the issue? Were they the first defenders of feminine rights? No. Oddly enough they have remained silent, and this is bothersome to feminists such as myself who wish to elevate women to a place of equality among men. When feminists allow men to belittle women in such vitriolic fashion they demean and belittle the work of ALL women. The feminist groups who made the decision to remain silent while conservative women are attacked are as guilty as those who spew the vile language and post screed on the net. Think of how long it took for anyone from the left to oppose Playboy's posting of the "Ten Conservative Women I'd like to Hate F**k". What does it mean to Hate F**k someone? Isn't that considered abuse? Isn't it considered rape?

Secondly, Ms. California, Carrie Prejean was ousted from her position. Ms. Prejean has been vocal in her support of her right as an American citizen to not only have her own opinions, but to express them in an open forum. Ms. Prejean never criticized Perez Hilton for his views on gay marriage, never made a negative comment about his lifestyle choice. However, the gay activist lobby, along with the Hollywood/NYC Soho types have prevailed in ousting an outspoken Christian from a job - again - and the mainstream media went along on the hunt.

Women everywhere need to understand that it is THEIR position which is under attack by the liberal press and the so-called party of tolerance. The Left allows women to believe that they are empowered, however, the opposite is true. The Left only uses the anger and bitterness of women who have yet to find THEIR POWER to augment their propaganda against Conservatives. If the truth be told, the Conservative Party is the party of feminists in that women are encouraged to be what they can be WITHOUT focusing on sexuality.

You may disagree with me, but I don't care. This is my blog, and if you don't like it....go pack sand.

Remembering Their Lives and Losses

2009-06-06T21:10:00.000-04:00

As the sun sets on this year's remembrance of D-Day, the battle of Normandy, I am reminded yet again of how very grateful I am to the lives that were given both on an off the field of battle.

This week I watched the unveiling of a bronze statue of Ronald Reagan, and my heart began to ache. Ronald Reagan was vilified by our press, the same press who is reluctant to post a negative (or true) story about our current President, but who quickly began to deliberate with reckless abandon the historical significance of the Presidency of Ronald Reagan.

Today I could not bring myself to watch as Barack Hussein Obama stood on hallowed ground in Normandy. The egomaniac President was, is, and ever shall be (at least in my mind) a disgrace to all that the men and women of our military stand for. To see this man, this hypocrite, this liar, stand shoulder to shoulder with the leaders of other nations, portending to represent the beliefs of ALL Americans makes me shudder with revulsion. In simple language, I fight the urge to vomit each and every time I see his image or hear his voice.

Last week a mass murdered was gunned down in church by a man who had a clear case of mental instability. The next day two members of our military were gunned down by an American-born terrorist. We all know which crime received the most attention, and we all know which criminal is the most reviled by the reliably liberal media. The fact is, each of these men engaged in an extreme act based upon their individual perception of ideology. Each man made the deliberate and conscious decision to take the life of another human being. Each man is guilty of cold-blooded murder.

Dr. Tiller was a physician who specialized in and enormously profited from performing ritualistic and premeditated murder. The fact that this type of murder is legal in the United States is disturbing to me - yet it remains legal and will likely become enhanced as the result of the actions of one man.

There was a time when I believed, as many young women believe, that abortion is the ultimate in feminine freedom. I, however, had an instant and almost cataclysmic event occur in my life, however, when I was able to see my unborn child via ultrasound at 8 weeks gestation. I saw, at that moment, the tiny flicker of her heart beating. She had no arms, no legs, no discernible body parts at all - she appeared as a bean or a peanut. Yet, there it was - LIFE! From that moment nearly 20 years ago until now I have been a very strong supporter of the Right to Life movement. In that one split second my entire line of thinking changed, and I was rescued from the morass of liberalism. People speak of life-changing events very casually, almost cynically, but for me, this hit me like a bolt of lightning. I was bearing witness to the creation of life, the passing on of a human being who would perhaps become a world leader, or simply offer the world a son or daughter of her own.

So today I thank the women and men of the past generations who gave their sons and daughters to the American people. Without their sacrifices, I would not exist today.

A Glimpse Into The Liberal Mind…

2009-05-26T07:38:00.000-04:00

A Glimpse Into The Liberal Mind…

Soldier's Prayer

2009-05-24T17:57:00.000-04:00

The soldier stood and faced his God Which must always come to pass...He hoped his shoes were shining Just as brightly as his brass."Step forward now, you soldier, How shall I deal with you?Have you always turned the other cheek? To My Church have you been true?"The soldier squared his shoulders and Said,"No, Lord, I guess I ain't...Because those of us who carry guns Can't always be a saint.I've had to work most Sundays And at times my talk was tough,And sometimes I've been violent, Because the streets are awfully tough.But, I never took a penny That wasn't mine to keep...Though I worked a lot of overtime When the bills got just too steep,And I never passed a cry for help, Though at times I shook with fear,And sometimes, God forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears.I know I don't deserve a place Among the people here...They never wanted me around Except to calm their fears.If you've a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand,I never expected or had too much, But if you don't, I'll understand."There was a silence all around the throne Where the saints had often trod...As the soldier waited quietly, For the judgment of his God,"Step forward now you soldier,Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,You've done your time in Hell."
Dedicated To All That Serve... God Bless America!

The Headlong Rush into Totalitarianism

2009-05-23T17:36:00.000-04:00

This week many of us had the opportunity to witness what was deemed a spectacle of the greatest sort: The address of a sitting US President followed by the address of the most recently "retired" former Vice President.

I, as an American mother of a soon-to-be soldier, wanted to see something (anything, really) from President Obama that would set my mind at ease. You see, I have no problem with my son and his desire to enlist. This is going to be his choice. He will be a man of 18 when he enlists, old enough to die for his nation, but not old enough to buy a beer. I had hoped that amidst all of the bad decisions that had been made in recent weeks our Commander in Chief would say something, anything, to convince me that he has America's best interests at heart. What I saw was, once again, a showman, a master campaigner, a manipulator capable of contrived good-will and good intentions. We all know how the path to hell is paved, so I couldn't help but think back on what else Mr. Obama had done since his Presidency began in January, 2009.

He has, with the help of the spineless, hapless Democratic Socialists, thrust our nation headlong into totalitarianism. The U.S. government now owns the once proud and independent automobile industry. Hand in hand with the UAW, the President deftly and with little notice, changed the course of American history. Chrysler, and soon to be GM, will become the hammer and sickle bearing arms of the Democratic Socialists, all with the unwitting and unwilling financial backing of you, me, and future generations of Americans.

Before our children return to school in the Fall of 2009 Mr. Obama and his sycophants in the other branches of government will thrust the final sword into the body of American independence and liberty by FORCING a liberal, centralized health plan on every American. Mr. Obama has admitted that we, as a nation, are OUT OF MONEY, per the transcript below:

Saturday, May 23 2009 10:32:18 ETIn a sobering holiday interview with C-SPAN, President Obama boldly told Americans: "We are out of money."C-SPAN host Steve Scully broke from a meek Washington press corps with probing questions for the new president. SCULLY: You know the numbers, $1.7 trillion debt, a national deficit of $11 trillion. At what point do we run out of money? OBAMA: Well, we are out of money now. We are operating in deep deficits, not caused by any decisions we've made on health care so far. This is a consequence of the crisis that we've seen and in fact our failure to make some good decisions on health care over the last several decades. So we've got a short-term problem, which is we had to spend a lot of money to salvage our financial system, we had to deal with the auto companies, a huge recession which drains tax revenue at the same time it's putting more pressure on governments to provide unemployment insurance or make sure that food stamps are available for people who have been laid off. So we have a short-term problem and we also have a long-term problem. The short-term problem is dwarfed by the long-term problem. And the long-term problem is Medicaid and Medicare. If we don't reduce long-term health care inflation substantially, we can't get control of the deficit. So, one option is just to do nothing. We say, well, it's too expensive for us to make some short-term investments in health care. We can't afford it. We've got this big deficit. Let's just keep the health care system that we've got now. Along that trajectory, we will see health care cost as an overall share of our federal spending grow and grow and grow and grow until essentially it consumes everything... SCULLY: When you see GM though as “Government Motors,” you're reaction? OBAMA: Well, you know – look we are trying to help an auto industry that is going through a combination of bad decision making over many years and an unprecedented crisis or at least a crisis we haven't seen since the 1930's. And you know the economy is going to bounce back and we want to get out of the business of helping auto companies as quickly as we can. I have got more enough to do without that. In the same way that I want to get out of the business of helping banks, but we have to make some strategic decisions about strategic industries... SCULLY: States like California in desperate financial situation, will you be forced to bail out the states? OBAMA: No. I think that what you're seeing in states is that anytime you got a severe recession like this, as I said before, their demands on services are higher. So, they are sending more money out. At the same time, they're bringing less tax revenue in. And that's a painful adjustment, what we're going end up seeing is lot of states making very difficult choices there... SCULLY: William Howard Taft served on the court after his presidency, would you have any interest in being on the Supreme Court? OBAMA: You know, I am not sure that I could get through Senate confirmation...

Can we really afford to stand aside, stoned-faced and silent, as our "leaders" lay our nation to ruin?

Today's Bad News!

2009-05-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Social Security Collections will barely break even with payouts! Ooops! Looks like Obama is spending our past, our present, and OUR FUTURE at a higher rate than the Congressional Budget Office first realized.

How has your world CHANGED? Is there more HOPE?

2009-05-10T13:29:00.000-04:00

Obama has been the President for a little over 100 days. In that short time, his administration has quadrupled our national debt, something that members of the Democrat party ridiculed George Bush for doing at one quarter of that amount. In this short time he has increased the size of government, mandated "service" of young people to HIS ideology, and made the first of many apologies for what was the dominant force of the United States of America.

In this short time the Obama administration has almost completed a socialistic coup of our banking system and has threatened bona fide investors in our automotive industry (private businesses) with ruin if they try to regain even one dollar of their investment. Coincidentally, many of us are unwittingly invested in these bonds, if we are invested in a 401(k). For anyone who doesn't know, a BOND is a loan made to a government, individual, or corporation which GUARANTEES a return on the investment, in the form of interest, by a specific maturity date. The Obama administration has broken the law, but who will fight them?

In the last week private citizens protesting against the slaughter of innocent unborn children have been arrested on the University of Notre Dame campus - for peacefully demonstrating - against the University's granting of an honorary degree to Barack Obama. Barack Obama, who could not define when life begins during a pre-election interview with Rick Warren, cited this answer as "above his pay grade". Now, however, we're all supposed to accept that Obama is "the Annointed One", the new Messiah, if you will, of the human race. What these brave souls at the University of Notre Dame did was to exhume the ghosts of double standards present in many of our larger universities and colleges today. That double standard is glaring in its simplicity, yet oddly the champions of free speech and tolerance seem to be under a gag order to stifle the opinions of ordinary citizens who feel passionate about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

On April 15th, hundreds of thousands of hard-working individuals took to the streets demanding a reduction in government spending only to be ridiculed by the press for doing so. They were referred to as "rednecks" and "teabaggers" in the most vile and pestilent manner. The so-called leaders of journalism even went so far as to join in on the banter, not even caring to veil their obvious adoration of the new Dear Leader of the Free World. They attempted to marginalize the opinions of the few, the outspoken, the freedom loving members of our society in ways that would make Al Franken proud.

And then, the people of Minnesota, either willingly or with the help of ACORN, elected a foul mouthed, closed minded, Fascist-Communist to the United States Senate. Of course, he will join the majority party of Fascist-Communists already there.

Soon Obama, an advocate of larger, more intrusive government, will appoint a new Supreme Court justice. He aims to find someone younger, one who can stay on the court for decades, who can change the very charter of our Nation.

To "my" fellow Americans I emplore you: get active, be vocal, start writing, calling, and pestering your elected representatives until they hear you, see you, and start representing you! Get onto TWITTER, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, everywhere, and start letting people know that WE ARE HERE.

The World That "Change"d Overnight

2008-11-25T14:25:00.000-05:00

So, the election is over, and obviously the results were not what I had wanted, but were pretty much exactly what I expected.

Obama "The Annointed One" took the election, though not as handily as the members of the media and the Democratic Socialists of America would want the rest of the country to believe. Sadly, too many Republicans have been apologizing for the loss.

I'd like to offer my suggestion of how to win the next time: Get Back to the Base! We, the Conservative Party of America, need to write a new Manifesto of the American Conservative. We need to begin to teach our children about self-reliance, self-responsibility, and self-respect that comes from achievement, and the joy of "earning" rather than "getting".

We need to reaffirm what marriage is. We need to find a way to do away with the system of progressive taxation and come to a fair, flat tax that ALL people who enjoy the fruits of this country will need to pay.

If we, the right, can stop with the progression toward the left we can and we will win elections. It's happened in the not so distant past. Over 74% of the population define themselves as "not liberal", and we need to capitalize on that. Too many republicans stayed home and did not vote on November 4th. Why? Because John McCain has never been a true conservative. McCain was picked by primary voters who crossed the party line in order to provide the GOP with an unviable candidate.

So now we have two years of massive rebuilding that we need to undertake. We can take back the Congress and the Senate, and in 2012 we can dismantle what is left of the Clinton-Obama team.

Where will we be in two weeks?

2008-10-24T21:44:00.000-04:00

As the election draws closer and closer, I can't tell if I'm beginning to get really angry, or just really disgusted. I think that I may just have to watch the Food Channel until the Obamamamia Frenzy has run its course. I'll also have to leave the radio off and simply use my CD player or finally go out and buy one of those MP3 players and load it up full of music that makes me happy.

Many of you don't know this, but I am a crazy, fanatical student of history. History excites me, invigorates me, enlightens me. Sure, there are all kinds of academic snobs out there, but for me...give me a good book about history and I couldn't be happier unless I was trapped in a bakery overnight!

One thing I've learned from all of this historical reading is that there have been many, many leaders who have claimed to be The One, The Messiah, the Deliverer, The Redeemer. Today we're witnessing no less of a spectacle than have our friends of the past.

Napolean, for instance, was so self-important that he proclaimed himself a dictator for life. Well, I think we all know how that ended up.

Hitler, too, was thought by his people to be sitting at the right hand of God. Sad how that turned out, as well. Because of newsreels, we have the benefit of watching the awestruck faces of the crowds when they would watch Hitler, and I am struck by the similar frenzy I am seeing today.

I was recently in a line at a local market and, of course, CNN was playing overhead on the plasma TV while shoppers waited in line. When Obama came on the TV a woman in the lane next to mine started yelling out, "Quiet! Can't you see that the President is speaking?" I watched her face for a moment, and then I looked at the other people around me. Even the cashier stopped what she was doing to listen. They were mesmerized by this man. This man of flesh, blood and the same self-importance that I've read about in history books. I left my cart full of groceries and walked out, going to a store with no overhead TV's, and resuming my marketing. Nobody noticed that I had left, so transfixed on their Savior were they.

Throughout history we've been witness to the cruelty of despots and to the vicarious nature in which certain segments of the population of nations have "served" their earthbound dieties as if a simple glimpse will transport them to The Promised Land.

Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Mao Tse Tung, Mugabe, "The Dear Leader" of Korea, Eva Barone - none of these self-important and self-proclaimed messengers of God have done much of anything good for their people. I doubt that Obama can deliver anything good to us, either.

I know my Redeemer, my Messiah, my Deliverer, and I know that when He does return I won't be here to write this stupid blog. My castle is not of this earth.

A Call to Congress

2008-09-23T14:39:00.000-04:00

Today I called my local Congressman's office, Joe Donnelly... a democrat. I called to express my frustration with the synchophantic talking points that each and every democrat has regurgitated again and again whenever asked about the most recent financial crisis; ..."four more years of failed Bush policies", is what I continue to hear. Well, I unloaded.

First, I scolded the young man on the other end of the phone for making a campaign pitch when he should have been listening to the needs and concerns of a constituent from his district.

Second, I scolded the democratic party for making back room deals with the legislation currently before them. I scolded the party for attempting to add additional spending onto an already overtaxed and overburded taxpayer base.

I informed the young man that I had worked during the 1980's when the RTC had to bail out S&L's across the country. This mess is no larger than any other mess. It just so happens that we're in the middle of another highly divisive election cycle, one that seems to have the nation divided exactly in half.

God help me, but for all of the talking and press meetings the candidates hold, I can't stomach listening to Chris Dodd or even the highly entertaining and laughable Joe Biden as they continue to spew forth their talking points as assigned by The Annointed One, Barack Hussein Obama.

Why won't the Congress or Senate bring the CEO's, Boards of Directors, and principle shareholders before them for grilling? Why won't they bring in the the members of the House and Senate who have benefitted from the easing of regulations? Why are we not able to demand that those members of the Congress and Senate who have benefitted from this and, indeed, cost all of us money, resign from office, losing their pensions and benefits as so many Americans are?

Mo' Money!

2008-09-17T01:37:00.000-04:00

Source - Fundrace.com
Donations by Company Name:

$158,166 was given by people who identified their employer as "AIG".
$36,955 from 34 people to Republicans
$121,211 from 144 people to Democrats

$1,690,976 was given by people who identified their employer as "Merrill Lynch".
$1,035,349 from 656 people to Republicans
$655,627 from 461 people to Democrats

$1,153,390 was given by people who identified their employer as "Citigroup".
$383,410 from 235 people to Republicans
$769,980 from 530 people to Democrats

$1,436,409 was given by people who identified their employer as "Lehman Brothers".
$496,094 from 253 people to Republicans
$940,315 from 354 people to Democrats

$1,919,454 was given by people who identified their employer as "Goldman Sachs".
$547,163 from 230 people to Republicans
$1,372,291 from 490 people to Democrats

$1,000,470 was given by people who identified their employer as "Bank of America".
$389,432 from 258 people to Republicans
$611,038 from 615 people to Democrats

$11,883,109 was given by people who identified their occupation as "Lawyer".
$4,324,911 from 3,385 people to Republicans
$7,558,198 from 6,422 people to Democrats

$6,083,976 was given by people who identified their occupation as "Investment Banker". $2,925,739 from 1,286 people to Republicans
$3,158,237 from 1,343 people to Democrats

And…from the group that REALLY runs America -
$89,080,963 was given by people who identified their occupation as "Homemaker".
$53,927,551 from 28,615 people to Republicans
$35,153,412 from 19,051 people to Democrats

Why We're in this Mess

2008-09-16T09:13:00.000-04:00

First, I'm not a highly educated person. I finished high school - barely - and can't do math without the use of my hands and my feet. But everyone needs to know that there is a reason we're in this financial and banking mess today: the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act set the stage for what we're now witnessing. The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 was enacted to prevent banks and investment companies from merging the money of their depositors and investors. This was done after the crash of 1929 in which bank after bank went belly up. We've all heard the stories, we all have read our history books. What we all have failed to do is correctly place the blame for what is turning out to be another turning point in our history.

Bill Clinton repealed the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999, thereby clearing the way for what would certainly become the mess we're in now. Congress further exacerbated this problem with they mandated that mortgage lenders make it easier for otherwise unqualified borrowers to borrow huge sums of money. Of course, our Congress is filled with activists, not financiers, and certainly not historians. When the Congress deemed that a family earning $40k a year could qualify for a $300k mortgage they did not foresee the natural greed that would follow. Home prices soared, following the money that was available. There was a ready food source, so to say, and the beast of greed could smell blood in the water. The sub-prime mortgage was born.

Like a drug pusher giving the potential addict a "taste", the lure of "the good life" was simply too much for some people to resist. They saw the big house, and the dream of showing off was reinforced by a lending system that had shortsightedly dreamed of the feast of foreclosure. Many people found themselves, sadly, with the realization that paying a $1000 a month for a mortgage left them little to no money to actually live life. The era of the McMansion had begun, with expensive homes on zero lot lines to spring up literally overnight. When they had to choose between feeding their families and feeding the bank, the family won.

We must place blame where it needs to be: Bill Clinton and the waste of taxpayer money Congress that was in place in 1999.