Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
>>>Plus, I was thinking that local credit unions would be better than the big chains. I distrust the BofAs, Wells Fargos, etc..... Any opinion on that?<<<
Credit Unions are strong, run by local boards of directors and are member oriented. They are insured by NCUSIF (National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund) It is (or was) better capitalized than FDIC. All capital of all credit unions are pledged to the NCUSIF should calamity strike. This provides multiples of the protection that FDIC provides.
However, rest assured that nationalization of banking would entail a ‘Bank Holiday’ of indefinite duration being declared and that would apply to ALL financial institutions.
Personally, I do not trust safe deposit boxes. But that may just be me. I like to control access to my assets.
>>>I imagine the way society is now (dumbed down and thinking the government will solve all their problems), this won’t happen with other sects until it is desperately needed. <<<
I have long since given up on most of them...(society and churches).
Can’t you just see them now... Hey Dude, I dug up this dirt and stuck the seeds in - where’s the food?
Unless they get in gear, they will be a day late and a dollar short! (I’ll just leave it at that - I could get wound up.....)
Mine is a POS and he knows how I feel about him all secure in Nazi's pocket...
I told him he better practice on his off time cause he's the next “Paul Crewe” after next election.
Sadly,... Adam Sandler is probably a better QB
From Shell to Symbol: Art of the Ethnic Easter Egg
This exhibit feature Easter eggs “hand-decorated with elaborate, richly symbolic designs. They represent the work of four Wisconsin artists sustaining their ethnic and religious traditions.” Exhibit sections highlight eggs decorated in several Eastern European traditions, such as the pysanky wax-resist process from Ukraine, colorful ribbon decorations, and triangle and cross-hatching designs. From the Wisconsin Historical Society.
URL: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/exhibits/eggs/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27931
Facts for Features Special Edition: Indianapolis Motor Speedway 100th Anniversary
Quick facts and statistics related to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which celebrates its centennial in 2009. “One hundred years after the first of more than 300 races at the speedway, it remains home of the world-famous Indianapolis 500, as well as NASCAR’s Brickyard 400, and some motorcycle and Formula One events.” Find data on Indianapolis, Indiana, auto racing, automobiles, and recreational vehicles (RVs). From the U.S. Census Bureau.
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LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28118
French Easter (P‰ques) Traditions
Description of Easter traditions in France. Discusses Easter eggs, poisson d’Avril (French chocolate Easter fish) and the related April Fools’ Day-type trick in which children try to stick “a paper fish onto the back of as many adults as possible, then run away yelling, ‘Poisson d’Avril!’,” cloche volant (chocolate flying bells), and Easter games. From a site providing “unique and valuable articles for those planning to visit France.”
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LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27934
Description of Ukrainian Easter traditions. Topics include when Easter is celebrated, contemporary practices, ritual spring songs and dances, ancient traditions, paska (Easter ritual bread), and Easter baskets (which “should contain only a sampling of the foods you are going to eat at Eastertime”), and pysanky (decorated Ukrainian Easter eggs). Includes a recipe for paska and images of decorations for the top of the paska. From a website promoting Ukrainian culture and economic development.
URL: http://www.brama.com/art/easter.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27933
Digitized version of this 15th-century Passover haggadah that belonged to the Rothschild family until 1939, when the Nazis looted it. In 1948, Dr. Fred Towsley Murphy acquired it and donated it to the Yale University library. “In 1980, it was identified as a Rothschild manuscript and returned to its former owners who donated it to the Jewish National Library [now the National Library of Israel].” From the National Library of Israel.
URL: http://jnul.huji.ac.il/dl/mss/heb6130/index_eng.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28174
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Copyright 2009 by Librarians’ Internet Index.
Business
This article aims to dispel myths propagated in popular culture (such as James Bond movies and “The Da Vinci Code”) about the operation of Swiss bank accounts. “People who live in countries with unstable governments and banks in particular often turn to Swiss banks because of their security and privacy.” Topics include private versus retail banking, Swiss bank account advantages, history, regulations, numbered accounts, and opening an account. From HowStuffWorks.
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LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28122
Questions and answers about the Swiss banking system. Topics include whether a Swiss bank account can be opened entirely via the Internet, the difference between “anonymous” and “numbered” accounts, the safety of Swiss banks, and how “secret” Swiss banks are (”rights to privacy can be suspended when a criminal investigation is underway”). Includes links to related issues such as client confidentiality. From the Swiss Bankers Association.
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LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28123
This 2003 press release describes how U.S. and Swiss authorities are working “to ensure that no safe haven exists anywhere in the world [such as in Swiss bank accounts] for the funds associated with illicit activities, including tax evasion.” Includes the text of the Mutual Agreement under the current U.S.-Swiss Income Tax Convention, and letters from American and Swiss officials. From the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
URL: http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/kd3795.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28124
URL: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28172
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Health
This light-hearted 2006 article considers narcissists: “charming, exasperating, captivating — and sometimes downright ludicrous. The weird world of the megalomaniac, explained.” Discusses the narcissist in the conference room and in love, why some people become narcissistic, “your inner narcissist,” and the “Hollywood Cure” (examples of movies where “[d]ropkicking a character out of their grandiosity is a cherished plot twist”). From Psychology Today Magazine.
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LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28160
Website for a “project to evolve a new model for sharing and advancing knowledge about health, medicine and the body among medical professionals and the general public.” Features articles about health conditions and issues. All contributors are either physicians or have Ph.D.s in a health science. Provided in association with the Harvard Medical School; Stanford School of Medicine; University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health; University of Michigan Medical School; and others.
URL: http://www.medpedia.com/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28175
Background about narcissistic personality disorder, “a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration.” Topics include definition, symptoms, causes, risk factors, when to seek medical advice, complications, treatment, and lifestyle and home remedies. From the Mayo Clinic.
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LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28157
This 2008 article considers how “[n]ow that a number of Americans have been identified as narcissists, it is time to learn more about them. For instance, why are so many narcissists men and especially young men?” Begins with a mention of Narcissus in Greek-Roman mythology, and describes the results of a study that found “the lifetime prevalence of narcissistic personality disorder among American adults is 6 percent.” From the American Psychiatric Association.
URL: http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/43/15/38
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28159
Abraham Lincoln “was born two hundred years ago. ... But why are we in the 21st century still obsessed with this 19th-century man? ... What does this popular Abe have to do with the historical Abe?” This site will take six months (from February 2009) to answer these questions. Includes responses from scholars and artists, and an opportunity for you to add material. From the Rosenbach Museum & Library.
URL: http://www.21stcenturyabe.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28127
In a technological twist that Samuel Langhorne Clemens might have relished, nearly 100 years after his death (April 12, 1910) Mark Twain has an official website. Includes a brief biography, fast facts, list of writings, photos, and quotes about and by Twain (such as “The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.”). Includes links to related sites. From the Estate of Mark Twain.
URL: http://www.cmgww.com/historic/twain/index.php
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27889
“Based at the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, the purpose of the Pennsylvania Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission is to organize, arrange, and coordinate bicentennial tributes to Abraham Lincoln in Pennsylvania.” Its site features a bicentennial calendar with 2009 events, and material about Lincoln in Pennsylvania, including a timeline, the text of the Gettysburg Address (November 1863), and information about the Lincoln funeral train (which passed through Pennsylvania April 21-24, 1865).
URL: http://www.palincoln.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28128
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Kroger Recalls Lite Mayo Due to Possible Health Risk (April 2)
Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:35:00 -0500
The Kroger Co. said today it is recalling Kroger Lite Mayo in 32-ounce plastic jars with a “Sell by” date of SEP-25-09 sold in Kroger stores in Southwestern Ohio, including Cincinnati and Dayton, and in Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/kroger04_09.html
FDA Alerts the Public to Uncle Chen and Lian How Brand Dry Spice Product Recall
Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:51:00 -0500
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting the public to a voluntary recall by Union International Food Company (Union City, Calif.) of the company’s dry spice products. The recall is based on an investigation of an ongoing foodborne illness outbreak of Salmonella Rissen. This investigation is being conducted in collaboration with state health officials in California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The company’s products are distributed in these states and Arizona.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2009/NEW01985.html
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Timothy J. Malinich
Ohio State University Extension, Lorain County
What is the right way to plant a fruit tree?
The next few weeks are the prime time for putting in a new fruit tree. The weather is still cold, so the tops will grow slowly while the roots quickly tap into their new home. Most fruit tree transplants come bare root; there is no soil but the roots usually are wrapped in damp paper or peat moss. Prune off any broken roots. The roots can be soaked in water while the hole is dug.
The tree usually will need to be planted to the same depth it grew in the nursery (one can see the old soil line on the stem). Most transplants also will be grafted. The graft union resembles a knot, or knob, in the stem just above the soil line. The finished planting hole should be bowl-shaped, with the edges getting gradually shallower.
Measure the length of the roots. Dig the hole no deeper than the roots. It is tempting to dig a deep hole, but doing so could allow the tree to sink into the planting hole and end up being planted too deep. Make the hole two to three times wider than the spread of the roots on the transplant. Pile the soil next to the hole and add a bucket of compost or other organic matter to this pile. If planting in a yard, the sod can be chopped up and put in the pile. Also, add a handful of a high-phosphorus fertilizer, such as bone meal, to the backfill.
Have someone hold the tree in place. Do not bend the roots to fit the hole; dig the hole larger if needed. Gradually add the backfill, working it around and under the roots. If there is sod in the backfill, try to put it in the bottom of the hole so it doesn’t sprout. Lightly firm the soil around the roots and leave a slight depression around the center to catch water. Make sure the graft union remains above the soil line. The finished planting will have a slight mound, but this will settle over time. A well-planted tree does not usually need to be staked. Plan on giving the tree a large bucket of water each week, especially during summer.
http://www.cuyahoga.osu.edu and
http://www.webgarden.osu.edu. Write Master Gardeners at mgdiagnostics_cuya@ag.osu.edu
More people getting their hands dirty to grow their own food
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Roxanne Washington
Plain Dealer Reporter
It looks like it’s going to be another fruitful summer for vegetable gardening.
“Our vegetable plant and seed sales are double over last year,” says Alan Hirt, owner of Hirt’s Gardens in Granger Township, sounding like he barely can believe it himself. “I have never seen a demand for vegetable plants and seeds like this, and we aren’t even at peak gardening season. I’ve had to build two new greenhouses this year specifically for the increased demand for vegetables.”
Hirt’s is a local snapshot of what’s happening with vegetable gardening nationally. In 2008, the number of people growing vegetables increased 10 percentfrom 2007, according to the National Gardening Association, or NGA, based in Burlington, Vt. That number is expected to increase by 20 percent in 2009.
Explanations for why vegetable-garden ventures abound.
The economy.
More Americans looking to cut their food bill are growing their own vegetables and fruit. According to a survey by the NGA, a $70 investment in home food gardening can yield, on average, a $600 return. Some are even comparing the growing interest in home-grown vegetables to the Victory Gardens many Americans grew during World War II, when money was tight.
“These numbers are based on a $2-per-pound in-season market price of produce grown in a national average garden size of 600 square feet with typical yields from the most popular vegetables,” says Bruce Butterfield, NGA director of research.
Brent Ridge bought a farm in upstate New York two years ago and since has started a project to encourage more people to grow their own veggies.
“We bought our farm two years ago, when we knew nothing about farming,” he says via e-mail. “Last year we installed our first vegetable garden — 52 raised beds — and planted them with heirloom vegetables.”
“Last summer, our grocery bill for two people was less than $30 per week. We canned, froze and preserved, and the grocery bill for winter has been less than $100 per week.”
Ridge is so excited about his new garden-to-table diet that he launched an online “Garden Party” so that visitors can weigh in with tips and even win a prize if their tip is voted the best. The Web site is beekman1802.com/GardenPartyHome.html.
Healthful eating.
Americans are worried about herbicides and pesticides sprayed on some commercially grown produce. What better way to ensure that vegetables are chemical-free than to grow them yourself?
The environment.
Commercial produce transported across the country requires energy use. With homegrown vegetables, the only energy that’s burned is your own: planting, maintaining, harvesting and toting the vegetables from the garden to your table.
Sense of community.
Community gardens have been springing up around the country during the past few summers. Neighbors take over an abandoned plot, clean it up and maintain their own beds. Some grow vegetables for their families. Others donate the fresh vegetables to hunger centers. Some do both.
Nearly 200 community gardens dot Cleveland and the inner-ring suburbs. They are tended by hundreds of neighbors and friends. Greens, tomatoes, onions, peppers, squash, berries and a bounty of other vegetables and fruits grow in places one might never expect, like once-abandoned lots.
Children - and adults - love to grow things.
Home-gardening advocates see working in the yard, whether it’s growing vegetables or flowers, as a great way to connect with your children and enhance their natural curiosity about seeing their labors come to fruition.
Vegetable-gardening advocates hardly could believe their good fortune when first lady Michelle Obama announced that a patch of the White House South Lawn would become a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden. The garden will serve to educate schoolchildren about healthful, locally grown veggies.
The garden will include red romaine lettuce, spinach, cilantro, hot peppers and more. There will not be beets, however, because President Barack Obama doesn’t like them.
On a lighter note, some advocates take exception to the decision not to include beets in the White House garden. Ohioans Doug Oster and Jessica Walliser, authors of “Grow Organic - Over 250 Tips and Ideas for Growing Flowers, Veggies, Lawns and More” (St. Lynns Press) have a video on YouTube called “Give Beets a Chance,” changing the words of the song “Give Peace a Chance.” That video is at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheOrganicGardeners.
Michael Loos, formerly of the Ohio State University Cuyahoga County Extension, also thinks President Obama doesn’t know what he’s missing.
“Fresh beets are so much better than canned,” Loos says. “It’s such an amazing flavor difference. If Obama doesn’t like beets, he hasn’t had fresh ones.”
Sense of accomplishment.
There’s nothing like seeing the fruits - and vegetables - of one’s own labor.
“It’s wonderful to produce your own fresh vegetables and herbs,” says Hirt. “It really gives you a feeling of independence.”
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
rwashington@plaind.com, 216-999-4427
This message consists of the following:
1. Evenflo Expands Recall of Majestic(tm) High Chairs Due to Fall and Choking Hazards
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09177.html
2. Evenflo Recalls Envision(tm) High Chairs Due to Fall and Choking Hazards
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09178.html
3. Radio Transmitters for Model Aircrafts Recalled by Horizon Hobby Due to Impact and Laceration Hazards
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09179.html
4. Faulty Installation Instructions Prompt RadioShack Corp. Recall of Electrical Switches; Shock Hazard to Consumers
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09180.html
5. SunKids Convertible Cribs Recalled by Suntech Enterprises Due to Entrapment and Suffocation Hazards
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09181.html
6. Best Buy Announces the Recall of Certain Rocketfish Universal Portable Power Sources Due to Fire Hazard
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09182.html
7. Best Buy Announces the Recall of Certain Insignia 26-Inch Flat-Panel LCD Televisions Due to Fire Hazard
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09183.html
So I want to be on the lookout for when to get everything out of the banks.<<<
You will never have advance knowledge, or far enough ahead to get there first.
My friend Mary Rohrbaugh, lived in Wellton, but the bank was in Yuma, we went down to the old mall, the building is still there.
They went to get money for the hired cotton pickers on their farm in Wellton.
The door was locked, it had been open 10 minutes before and a hand hung a sign in the door, it said “This Bank has Closed”, and their hard times began, took them down to the day they cooked the last pound of flour and the old hen, last one of the chickens.
The Gov would not give them food, for they had a milk cow still and 2 small babies and 4 other small children that had the milk.
They were told to kill the cow and when it was gone, they Might get some beans and flour.
So I come by my distrust of banks from a lot of angles and I would not put even $5.00 in Bank of America.
They were trouble over 50 years ago and still are, in my opinion.
I like God’s meadows better than a lawn and His bushes and trees better than any manicured garden.<<<
I think he does too, for he will talk to you, while you are in the flowers and food, but cussing is what I associate with lawns.
This 2003 press release describes how U.S. and Swiss authorities are working “to ensure that no safe haven exists anywhere in the world [such as in Swiss bank accounts] for the funds associated with illicit activities, including tax evasion.”
Well, hell. There’s no point then....<<<
Today, almost all large amounts of cash, can be taken or held by the Feds, and it is up to you to prove it is legal money.
I would not keep green money in a safe deposit box.
If the bank closes, it can take you years to get into the boxes, even if there is no question of who owns.
A plane has landed on a Big Bear area road and the folks walked away from the crash............God was busy for a while.
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