Replies

[Looks like a tortilla to me....granny]

http://www.lefsetime.com/all_about_lefse/lefse_recipes.php

Lefse Recipes
lefse ready for serving
Lefse IS Beautiful !!!!!

Aunt Charlotte’s Lefse recipe
(our favorite!)

* 4 cups riced potatoes
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 tsp sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 1/2 cups flour

Find a grill or lefse making accessories to make your own lefse!

Click here to view detailed instructions for making this lefse recipe.

Traditions Lefse Kit

Florene Erickson Family Recipe:

* 6 cups riced potatoes
* 3 Tbsp Crisco (heaped)
* 1 1/2 cups flour
* dash of salt

Lefse by Ida Sacquitne:

Makes about 12 lefse rounds

* 4c riced potatoes
* dash salt
* dash sugar
* 2 -3 T half & half
* 2 T margarine
* 2c flour

Lefse Time e-News

From the Frederick Philbert
Jensen, Jr family

* 3 Cups riced Potatoes
* 1/2 stick butter
* 1/2 cup cream
* dash of salt
* 1 1/2 cup flour

Send us your favorite recipe!

Lefse recipe using instant potatoes submitted by Mary Jane Flikke

I was reading your lefse recipes on your web site and didn’t see any using instant mashed potatoes. I love lefse and learned to make it because I moved so far away from my relatives who baked it when I was growing up. Because of time constraints (working, going to college and being a single Mom to 3 kids), I started using instant mashed potatoes to reduce the time it took to provide my family with this treat. Here’s the recipe I use:

LEFSE (Norwegian Tortillas)

Bring to a boil (microwave works fine):

* 3 cups water
* 16 tablespoons butter (½ lb.)
* 8 teaspoon salt

Add above to:

* 9 cups dry instant potato flakes
* 3 cups milk
* 4 scant cups flour

Mix well, make into long roll.
Cut into 4 dozen pieces.
Refrigerate in single layers on cookie sheet between waxed paper layers which have been sprayed with vegetable spray.
Refrigerate overnight or until thoroughly chilled.

Roll out as pie crust into dinner plate size pieces.
Keep pieces of lefse dough refrigerated until ready to roll them out.
Use lefse stick to lift from pastry board to griddle and to turn to brown both sides.
Bake at 350 degrees to 375 degrees on lefse iron/griddle or pancake griddle.
Bake until browned bubbles appear.
Remove excess flour from griddle between baking each sheet. Pastry brush works well.
Stack sheets together and cover with a towel until baking is finished to prevent drying out.
Brush any excess flour off sheets of lefse before folding and storing in zip lock bags.
Freezes very well.
If sheets have dried, add a dampened piece of towel to zip lock bag, placing it flat over the sheets of lefse before freezing or storing.

Warm slightly in microwave before serving.

Makes about 4 dozen

Send us your favorite recipe!

Lefse recipe using instant potatoes submitted by Edith Cano
(This recipe was dictated to Edith by her Norwegian grandmother Ramona Johnson)

1 batch = 24 lefse

ADD to: 3 cups boiling water:

* 1 ½ teas. salt
* ¾ cup margarine or butter
* 2 1/3 cup canned evaporated milk
* ¼ cup sugar

Heat all until real hot. Now ADD:

* 4 cups Idahoen instant potatoes (you can use any brand)
* (2 lbs 4 oz makes 6 batches)

Mix like for eating. Chill. Then ADD:

* 1 ½ to 2 cups flour when ready to roll. (Mix with hands until flour is absorbed)

Form lefse dough into golf ball sized (or larger) portions. ROLL out flat with Lefse rolling pin using flour as needed (so it won’t stick) turning often with lefse turner until thin. Use lefse turner to lift from pastry board to griddle. Bake on Lefse griddle at 410-435 degrees until golden brown bubbles appear. Flip with lefse turner and brown other side. Stack lefse on towel and cover with another towel until baking is finished to prevent drying out. Once cooled, lefse freezes well.

Perfect Norwegian Lefse submitted by Rebecca Knoepke

Boil, drain and rinse ten pounds of peeled Russet potatoes, but be very careful not to over cook them. That’s the key the perfect rolling. Wet potatoes give you sticky lefse!

Rice the warm potatoes and add 2/3 cups half and half, 2 sticks of margarine, 1 TBSP salt and 1TBSP of sugar. Blend well with an electric beater. Place this bowl of potatoes in the fridge overnight covered loosely with a piece of wax or parchment paper to allow them to evaporate some of the moisture. In the morning, add 6 cups of flour and mix well. (I usually have to mix it with my hands.)

Now, roll dough into palm sized balls and return them to the fridge, taking them out a few at a time as you roll them. Cold potatoes are easier to roll than room temp. Flour your lefse surface well, roll it out thin, and grill with your griddle at 400 degrees. (don’t grease the griddle!) You definitely need a lefse stick to get the rolled lefse from the rolling surface to the grill. You can buy one, or make your own.

Last is the most important part. As you remove them from the grill, place them in several layers of towels to sweat until they are cool. This takes several hours. I use a flour sack towel with a folded bath towel under it, and on top of it. Once cooled, store in saran in the fridge, or freeze in freezer bags. Enjoy with butter and sugar!

Send us your favorite recipe!

Lefse Recipe submitted by Tom Hovland

* 5 cups riced potatoes
* 1 Tbsp salt (popcorn)
* 1/3 cup cream
* 3 Tbsp butter/shortening (melted)
* 2 cups flour

Cook potatoes (Yukon Gold / Russet-homegrown) with skins on; peel as soon as can be handled, rice and measure. Mix with cream, salt and butter. Cool for 2 to 3 hours - then add flour.

Roll out and fry on lefse grill, cool on cloth. Age overnight in cool place.

Note: lt is sacrilegious to put any foreign object on Lefse other than butter, roll up and eat.........

An Ole Scandinavian Lefse Recipe (a little lefse humor)

Yew tak yust ten big potatoes
Den yew boil dem til dar don,
Yew add to dis some sveet cream
And by cups it measures vun.

Den yew steal ‘tree ounces of butter
And vit two fingers pench some salt,
Yew beat dis wery lightly
If it ain’t gude it is your fault.

Den yew roll dis tin vit flour
An’ light brown on stove yew bake,
Now call in all Scandihuvians
Tew try da fine lefse yew make!

Photos and video on page:

http://www.lefsetime.com/all_about_lefse/making_lefse_instructions.php

Making Potato Lefse in 8 Easy Steps

* 4 cups riced potatoes
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 tsp sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 1/2 cups flour

Step 1: Boiling
To ensure your potatoes cook evenly, cut them into pieces that are roughly the same size, and place them in the salted water before you bring it to a boil. Peel and cut potatoes in half and then quarters. Place potatoes into a large pot of salted water and boil until fork-tender. (You should be able to pierce potatoes with a fork easily.) If you’re looking to make a small batch of lefse, 1.5lb to 2lb of potatoes will give you approximately 4 cups of riced potatoes. If there are any potatoes left over, why not just have them with your supper?

Step 2: Ricing
Drain the potatoes in a large colander then return them to the empty pot to avoid washing more dishes.When potatoes are done boiling, drain into a large colander. Be sure they are well drained. You can rice the potatoes into the empty pot you used for boiling to avoid washing more dishes. Rice all your potatoes and then measure out 4 cups (lightly packed) into another large bowl. Don’t waste a lot of time here, your potatoes need to be warm to melt butter in the next step.
Rice the potatoes using a potato ricer. (Need a potato ricer? Visit our Products section.)Try to work quickly when ricing potatoes—your potatoes need to be warm to melt butter in the next step.

Step 3: Cooling
Add pats of butter to your riced potatoes to melt, then set the bowl aside to cool completely.To your 4 cups of riced potatoes, add 1/4 cup butter in pats so it melts in evenly. Stir a few times to get the butter mixed in well, then set your potatoes aside to cool completely. The potatoes need to be cooled to at least room temperature. If you are on a time schedule, place your bowl of potatoes into the refrigerator to speed up this process.

Step 4: Mixing
When your potatoes are cooled, mix in whipping cream, salt, sugar and flour.When your potatoes are cooled, mix in whipping cream, salt, sugar and flour. Stir until all the flour is mixed in evenly. Then knead (like bread dough) 10 times.
Stir until all the flour is mixed in evenly.Then knews (like bread dough) 10 times.

Step 5: Patties
Use a measuring cup to make the patties fairly consistent in size.Depending how big you want your sheets correlates to the size of patties. 1/3 cup lefse dough equals a 12 inch round approximately. This gives you a nice, not too thick, not too thin sheet of lefse. But if you like your sheets bigger, roll it more or make bigger patties. We do suggest using a measuring cup so that your sheets are fairly consistent in size. Measure out your potatoes to a tray or cookie sheet and form into patties, just like a hamburger patty. To prevent cracking on the edges of your sheet when rolling, be sure the edges on your patties are nice and smooth. Let the patties rest for 5 minutes before rolling. While your patties are resting, turn your lefse griddle on and set control to 500 degrees.
To prevent cracking on the edges of your sheet when rolling, be sure the edges on your patties are nice and smooth.Make all of your patties in advance to speed things along. Let them rest for 5 minutes before rolling.

Step 6: Rolling
Preperation is the key to success with rolling lefse.

Preparation is the key to success with rolling. Round pastry boards are great for rolling lefse. They have size guides to indicate how large your sheets are, and can be a great guide to round sheets. Prep your pastry board by spreading out about 1 cup of flour into a circle just a bit bigger than the sheet of lefse you intend to roll. Rub the flour in thoroughly to your pastry cloth. You will need to lightly sprinkle flour onto your pastry board between each sheet, paying special attention to the center as it tends to build up the most moisture and could cause sticking. A flour dredger is a very handy tool for that step.

Prep your rolling pin by working flour into every groove of your pin. This can be sped up by rolling your pin directly into flour, ex. place a cup of flour onto your pastry board and roll your pin back and forth through the flour. Be sure to rub flour in on any missing spots. You can also use a rolling pin cover; it functions the same as a pastry cloth when prepped with enough flour.

To begin rolling, place your patty down at the center and gently roll forward and back so that your patty becomes a small oval. Then either rotate your board slightly or change your angle and roll forward and back. Continue rotating or switching your angles so that you keep your lefse round and until you have achieved the size of lefse you’d like. Of course, there is no rule that says your sheets have to be round, ovals taste just the same!
Rolling lefse is like rolling pie crust, start from the middle an work out.Continue rotating or switching your angles so that you keep your lefse round and until you have achieved the size of lefse you’d like. Your lefse doesn’t need to be perfectly round.

Step 7: Transfer
Lift from the middle slowly for transfer to the lefse grill.

Time to grab the lefse stick so you can transfer from the pastry cloth to the lefse grill. Generally you can just attack the sheet right down the middle and gently lift up. Others like to flip a little bit of the side of the sheet over the stick and roll in a couple turns and then lift up. The only caution I give here is to lift cautiously because you can spoil your hard rolling efforts very quickly, especially if there is a sticky spot. Once the sheet is off the board, move quickly to the lefse grill. You need to get the whole sheet down as soon as possible for a nice even cook. For good placement on the grill with large lefse sheets, try to line up the edge of your lefse sheet close to the edge of the grill.
Lift cautiously to avoid spoiling your hard rolling efforts. When transferring lefse to the grill be sure to move quickly for a nice even cook.

Step 8: Cooking
Cook the first side for about 30 seconds.

You’ll want to cook the first side 30 seconds, give or take. It’s best to just watch for your cues. Your sheet should bubble up and when you sneak a peek under the edge there should be light golden brown spots. That means it’s time to flip. Run your lefse stick down the middle, lift and turn over. Cook the second side until you see the same signs. The second side will cook considerably faster than the first side. From there simply transfer your lefse to lefse cozies or a nice clean towel.
Lefse is ready to flip when you peek under the edge and see light golden brown spots.When the lefse is cooked, transfer it to a lefse cozy or a nice clean towel.
Stack 10-12 lefse sheets on a cozy or towel, then set them aside to cool.

Let about 10 to 12 sheets stack, cover with a cozy or towel, then set them aside to cool. If you see that your sheets have a bit too much flour, wait until cooled and dust off. Wipe off excess flour on your lefse grill with a dry cloth to avoid burnt flour on your sheets.

When your lefse is completely cooled, fold in half, then half again and store in zip-top freezer bags. They will keep in the freezer for 6 months or more.
When the lefse is completely cooled, fold it in half, then half again.Lefse will store in the freezer for 6 months or more.
Folder lefse ready for servingOf course once you’ve cooked all your patties all that’s left is clean up and enjoying your very fresh, very yummy lefse. I love to eat it just plain as can be when it’s still a little warm. YUM!

* Buy a lefse sample of this recipe.
* Purchase the lefse starter kit to make lefse at home.
* Go to the website home

Provided by: www.LefseTime.com

http://batter-splattered.typepad.com/battersplattered/2009/06/bierocks-rock.html

I can’t say that this is the most photogenic recipe that’s ever crossed my plate but I have made these tasty little beef and cabbage stuffed rolls twice in one week. We even had these bierocks last night on burger night. The husband tasted the first batch and declared them an acceptable substitute for burgers, and hey, they contain vegetables so it’s like a complete meal in one palm-sized packet.

They would have been much prettier, I’m sure, if I’d used an official bierock dough recipe, yeasty and slightly sweetened, but instead I cheated and used store-bought rolls of refrigerated crescent rolls. Next time, I’ll either have to make my own dough or at the very least, buy something like frozen bread dough that will bake up a little fluffier. The crescent rolls are nice too though, because they aren’t too bready and they get nice and crispy and flaky on the outside.

Online details are a little skimpy on the origins of these but they have German-Russian roots and were brought to the U.S. by Volga Germans. Sometimes they’re called runzas. There’s even a chain of restaurants named after runzas — I haven’t spent too much time in the midwest so that was news to me.

Half the sources I checked said to dip these in mustard, the other half swore by ketchup so I played it safe and dunked in both.

Here’s my version, adapted from this recipe. I thought the filling was a little bland so I added some more worcestshire, salt and caraway seeds till it was good enough to eat straight from the skillet.

Bierrocks

Makes 10 to 12 rolls

2 (1 pound) loaves frozen bread dough, thawed, or 2 refrigerated tubes of crescent rolls

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped fine

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

2 T lemon juice

1 small head cabbage, chopped fine

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1/2 cup melted butter or 1 egg white whisked with 2 T water

Saute beef, onion and garlic, salt, lemon juice, and pepper in a large skillet over medium high heat, until beef is browned. Add cabbage, Worcestershire sauce and caraway seeds. Cook until cabbage is limp. Season with additional salt, Worcestshire, pepper, and caraway seeds to taste. Drain liquid from mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

On a lightly floured board, roll each loaf of dough (if you’re using frozen bread dough) into a 12 inch circle and cut each circle into 6 wedges. If you’re using crescent rolls, just unroll the crescent one at a time. Spoon cabbage/beef filling onto center of each dough piece, dividing equally. Pull three points of each wedge up to the center and pinch to seal. Place bierocks on a lightly greased cookie sheet. If desired, brush dough with melted butter or egg wash.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot, or wrap and freeze for heating later.

Posted at 12:20 PM in meat, meat, and more meat |

http://batter-splattered.typepad.com/battersplattered/in_the_garden/

Which brings me around to this: let me tell you about the supper I’d guard with my life.

2946301894_912f50e2f3

It’s a pasta timbale, the Italian ... or Spanish? ...or French? (I googled it but am even more confused now) word for drum, and so, no matter it’s etymological origins, it’s a big drum-shaped dome of pasta. I stumbled across the recipe and had to make it.

Hm. According to this source, the word ‘timbale’ is also “a Spanish euphemishm for the vulgar term cojones, since they come in pairs, are rather large, and make alot of noise...” Okay.

Boys!

This recipe reminded me of two things.

First: My mom used to make these huge pots of spaghetti sauce — are you with me when I say that pasta sauce tastes best when ‘tested’ using a wooden spoon, straight from the pot while simmering on the stove, still a few hours away from showtime, otherwise known as suppertime? Sure the stuff on your plate is good and all, and it’s the same as the stuff bubbling in the pot, but no, the wooden spoon sauce is the best. What’s even better is when you have a little bit of bread to dip into the pot.

After dinner, she’d stir all the leftover spaghetti noodles into the leftover sauce and put it in the fridge, then the next day she’d put it in a pan and bake it in the oven. So good! Baked leftover spaghetti — the sauce has thoroughly soaked into the pasta, the flavors are concentrated. Oh! So good.

It’s even better the next morning — we’re on day three here, if I’m not mistaken — talk about budget dining! I’d eat it cold for breakfast. I was such a sucker for cold pasta leftovers for breakfast when I was a kid.

Lasagna! Cold! For! Breakfast! You can keep your pancakes.

Second thing: if you’ve ever seen the movie Big Night, you know what I’m talking about with the drum-shaped pasta. Ah, Big Night. I think I watched you a thousand times and never got tired of you. Such a beautiful food movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, you owe it to yourself to seek out a copy. Although I think their drum-shaped pasta was named a timpano.

You say timbale. I say timpano. They say cojone. Either way, it’s a big drum-shaped and delicious stack of pasta.

Pastina Timbale

Serves 8

Salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound spicy Italian sausage links, boiled for 6 minutes and cut into bite-size pieces

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 pound pastina

Pastina Timbale Sauce, recipe follows

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Brush 8 (12-ounce) ramekins or 1 large oven-safe bowl with butter and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and saute sausage until browned.

Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil and the minced garlic in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is light brown, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the bread crumbs to the skillet and stir them every minute for 3 to 5 minutes until the crumbs are lightly toasted. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of the parsley and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Cook for 30 seconds.

Pour the bread crumb mixture into the prepared ramekins or bowl and press around the sides to line with the bread crumb mixture, using your fingers to evenly distribute it along the bottom and up the sides.

While the Pastina Timbale Sauce is simmering, cook the pastina in the boiling salted water until just shy of al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain the pastina in a colander.

Reheat the sauce, if needed, and add the drained pastina and then the browned sausage. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of parsley, and remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine. Transfer the pastina mixture to the lined ramekins (1 1/4 cups per ramekin) or large bowl. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Invert the molded pastina timbale onto warmed individual serving plates, and serve.

Timbale Sauce:

3 pounds canned diced tomatoes, drained

2 jalapeno chiles

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup minced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Gorgonzola

1 small jar roasted peppers, julienned (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss tomatoes and whole jalapeno chiles with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place tomato mixture on a cookie sheet and roast in oven for 15 or 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from heat and finely chop the tomatoes. Transfer tomato pulp and any juices from the cutting board to a bowl. Chop the chiles and taste to determine their heat.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, season with salt, and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and stir. Add the chiles and simmer for another minute, only adding as much jalapeno as you want for spice. Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and stir in the Gorgonzola. Stir in the roasted peppers and the parsley. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Fried Zucchini

Serves 4

3 firm medium zucchini, sliced into half-inch pieces

Extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced

1/2 a fresh chili, sliced, or 1 small dried red chili, crumbled

handul of fresh marjoram or oregano, leaves picked, or 1 t dried oregano

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 good-quality anchovy fillets, in olive oil

zest and juice of half a lemon, in separate bowls

optional: sprig of fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped

Glug some olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add garlic and chili. After 30 seconds, add zucchini and herbs and season lightly with salt and pepper. Make sure your pan’s not too hot — you don’t want the zucchini to cook too quickly. Mix it all up and cover with a lid slightly ajar to hold some steam in. Give pan a little shage every couple of minutes for the next 10 to 12 minutes. For last 2 minutes of cooking, add anchovies and lemon zest. Once anchovies have melted, season to taste, add a squeeze of lemon juice to balanc the chili and seasoning. Serve right away with chopped mint, if desired.

We had ours with strawberry ice cream. Yum.

Painted Fish Rhubarb Cake

Makes a 9x13 inch cake to serve, gosh, alot of people.

Mix 4 cups of diced rhubarb with 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, place in a greased 9×13 pan. sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar. add rhubarb mixture.

Mix 1 package yellow cake mix per directions, minus 1/4 water. pour over rhubarb.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, until batter pulls away from sides. let set 10 minutes.

Optional, depending on how quickly you want to eat rhubarb cake: place jelly roll pan on top of cake and turn over to remove cake. liquid may pour down the edges.

I had this opening, when I answered your post on rationing /license for food, it fits the easy way we can be starved.

It is the first time I have been to the site, it turned up in a google alert for nazi history that I have set..... It is a German forum.
granny

http://forums.skadi.net/showthread.php?s=5670c0f52c2ddaec2523d60f5356b7ab&p=956567#post956567

[When I copied this, photos of starving people were in the post that I was sending to me at yahoo.]

HOLOCAUST AND HOLODOMOR

by Nicholas Lysson (April 2007)

A particularly relevant parallel to the Nazi Holocaust is the Ukrainian Holodomor of 1932-33, a state-created famine—not a crop failure—that killed an estimated five million people in the Ukraine, one million in the Caucasus, and one million elsewhere after the Soviet state confiscated the harvest at gunpoint. Throughout the famine, the state continued to export grain to pay for industrialization. [...] Norman Davies gives the following description in Europe: A History, p. 965 (Oxford University Press, 1996). His first paragraph assembles quotations from Conquest; the bracketed phrase is his own:

“A quarter of the rural population, men, women and children, lay dead or dying” in “a great stretch of territory with some forty million inhabitants” “The rest, in various stages of debilitation,” “had no strength to bury their families or neighbours.” “well-fed squads of police or party officials supervised the victims.”

All food stocks were forcibly requisitioned; a military cordon prevented all supplies from entering; and the people were left to die. The aim was to kill Ukrainian nationhood, and with it the “class enemy.” The death toll reached some 7 million. The world has seen many terrible famines. But a famine organized as a genocidal act of state policy must be considered unique.

See also Oksana Procyk, Leonid Heretz and James E. Mace, Famine in the Soviet Ukraine, 1932-33 (Harvard University Press, 1986); Nicolas Werth, The Great Famine, in Stephane Courtois, et al., The Black Book of Communism (pp. 159-68) (Harvard University Press, 1999); Edvard Radzinsky, Stalin, pp. 257-59 (1996); Miron Dolot, Execution by Hunger (1985); Simon Sebag Montefiore, Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar, pp. 84-85 (2003); and the Commission on the Ukrainian Famine, Report to Congress (1988). That report, at pp. 6-7, cites estimates of the number killed that range as high as 8 million in the Ukraine and 9 million overall.

Piers Brendon, The Dark Valley, pp. 248-49 (2000) gives this description, drawn from still further sources, all cited in his notes:

“A population of “walking corpses” even ate horse-manure for the whole grains of seed it contained. Cannibalism became so common-place that local authorities issued hundreds of posters announcing that “EATING DEAD CHILDREN IS BARBARISM.”

“They staggered into towns and collapsed in the squares. Haunting the railway stations these “swollen human shadows, full of rubbish, alive with lice,” followed passengers with mute appeals. [They] “dragged themselves along, begging for bread or searching for scraps in garbage heaps, frozen and filthy. Each morning wagons rolled along the streets picking up the remains of the dead.” Some were picked up before they died and buried in pits so extensive that they resembled sand dunes and so shallow that bodies were dug up and devoured by wolves.”

Boris Pasternak says “what I saw could not be expressed in words. There was such inhuman, unimaginable misery, such a terrible disaster, that it began to seem almost abstract, it would not fit within the bounds of consciousness.” See Brian Moynahan, The Russian Century, p. 130 (1994). Nikita Khrushchev, in Khrushchev Remembers: The Final Testament, p. 120 (1976), says “I can’t give an exact figure because no one was keeping count. All we knew was that people were dying in enormous numbers.”

continues with many links and this may be a Holocaust denial site, but the Ukraine action is true, I have read of it for years,
granny

http://www.police-writers.com/articles/swine_flu_law_enforcement.html

Swine Flu: 21 Things Law Enforcement Needs to Know

Overview
At the time of this writing, only the potential for a pandemic has been mentioned, and summer approaches; not your “usual” cold and flu season. One school of thought is that we will see a relatively minor wave of flu cases which will diminish toward the end of the summer. However, when fall starts and schools are back in session and traditional cold and flu season begins, it’s possible we’ll see a more massive wave of infection and reach true pandemic status.

This short article is not intended to be a medical or scientific discussion of the current strain of flu or its treatment. Instead, this piece is meant to inform law enforcement of some of the many unique threats and assets that may present themselves during a developing pandemic, along with some tips on what to do at present to mitigate future problems or obstacles.

The Hidden Threats
Aside from the obvious concerns related to staffing, service, and supply shortages that will likely affect police work in general, a pandemic scenario carries with it unique issues based not on the disease itself, but on both official and societal reactions to the emergency.

As a pandemic progresses in severity, the most probable reaction will be “mass social distancing” whether instituted or spontaneous. “Instituted” would insinuate that government entities have enacted measures leading to social distancing such as the closure of schools, public gatherings, non-essential business, and possibly setting curfews, leaving people with little to do but remain home. “Spontaneous” social distancing would occur when families take it upon themselves to stay out of public locations. We may see spontaneous school closures when parents keep their children home en masse, and parents remaining at home to care for their children will see some business curtailed as a result. Other threats could present themselves as well.

1.
Robberies, particularly bank robberies, are likely to increase. People will begin wearing the N95 cloth masks in public, and one of the first groups of people to take advantage of this will be the criminal element who will realize they can easily walk around in public already wearing a mask. Given the current financial situation, the stress and civil unrest added by a developing pandemic and the resulting economic effect of a pandemic, it is probable that the numbers of potential robberies will increase substantially.
2.
Domestic violence may increase dramatically since social distancing will alter the family dynamic. Families are accustomed to being apart for most of the day, and in this scenario, everyone will be home and “on top of each other” with the pandemic itself adding a level of stress. The potential for loss of income will also add considerable agitation to an already difficult situation and domestic violence will be a likely result.
3.
Suicide and suicide attempts may also increase for obvious reasons.
4.
Though not directly police-related, there will also be an increased risk of fire. Cold and flu season is traditionally during the colder months and social distancing means that more people will be at home for longer periods of time and possibly using alternative heating devices (especially if there are issues with our critical infrastructure) for longer periods of time. Add to this the fact that more people will be cooking at home and we can readily see the risk for fire increases significantly.
5.
The potential for terrorism increases. We know pretty much every metropolitan area of the country has terror cells, and we must assume that some have standing orders to make a bad situation worse. For example, if we see mass social distancing that appears to be stemming the progress of the pandemic, we may see an attack on critical infrastructure. Water tops the list because people would have to venture out of their houses into groups to collect water from delivery trucks. This close proximity between people would negate the benefits of social distancing. Too, the loss of water would cripple effective treatment at hospitals.

The Hidden Assets
Just as a pandemic carries with it certain threats and negative issues, it will also create certain assets and advantages that should be recognized now so they can be put to use when the time comes.

1.
During a developing pandemic, local trade, tourism, and commerce will probably plummet leaving certain businesses closed… and available. Top of this list will be hotels and motels which can be pressed into service (through MOU, etc.) to serve as dormitories. Locations near precincts or stations could be used for officers wanting to stay away from their families (not bringing home the virus). You might look at having a rotation schedule for groups of officers. Motels near hospitals could be used as either dorms for their staff, or for off-site clinics for non-infectious, non-flu-related patients (such as the victims of domestic violence who don’t need to be taken to a flu-infested emergency room for the treatment of minor injuries).
2.
As schools close, your dedicated school resource officers will be freed up providing extra personnel or “force multipliers.”
3.
School counselors will also be freed up and could possibly staff phone banks from home. These phone banks can prove useful in dispute resolution (stemming from the domestic violence listed above), suicide prevention, grief counseling, and officer morale.
4.
As local business dwindles, some private security personnel may be freed up offering additional force multipliers useful in some capacity. To this list add private investigation firms. Many states, such as Georgia, require private-sector continuing ed hours to include regular instruction in the area of “homeland security” for just this purpose. Other private-sector assets related to this area include BENS (Business Executives for National Security), CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams), Neighborhood Watch, COPs (Citizens On Patrol), VIPS (Volunteers In Police Service), as well as Explorer Scouts.
5.
Additionally, as a pandemic progresses and the likelihood of an SNS (Strategic National Stockpile) release becomes likely, you’ll need secure transportation to safeguard the delivery of pharmaceuticals to the PODs (Points Of Dispensing). Your local private-sector armored truck companies should have plenty of units (with guards and drivers) that can be volunteered since it’s likely they won’t be needed for private commerce.
6. One asset that will not necessarily be “created” but which is commonly overlooked in many community public health plans is the fact that many restaurants may be closed down, and some will still have a respectable supply of non-perishable food on-site (especially if they are closed down rapidly or too early in the game).

What to do Now

Though we may be at the beginning stages of a global pandemic, there is still time to set certain things in place to mitigate the negatives and strengthen reactive capabilities.

1.
Ensure your officers’ abilities to report for duty and remained focused on the tasks at hand by providing enhanced family preparedness instruction. Officers will more readily report when they know the family they leave at home is as well-prepared as possible. The short list of preparedness goals includes 4 weeks of food and medication, current medical checkups and adequate prescription meds (including dental checkups and vet checkups for pets), and entertainment for long periods of time in isolation at home. For a detailed preparedness information source, visit http://www.disasterprep101.com.
2.
Maintain communication with your department of public health or primary source of medical care to make sure officers receive prophylactic flu treatment if and when available.
3.
Set MOUs in place for those assets (listed above) you may wish to utilize in a pandemic scenario.
4.
Establish orientation / training sessions with those groups you may wish to utilize. Though most would not be directly involved in police work, many can be called upon to monitor their own neighborhoods to some extent or fulfill some lower level security function and thereby shoulder a small percentage of the workload.
5.
Set a policy to top off the gas tanks of all vehicles on a daily basis in case fuel supplies are interrupted.
6.
Start stocking a certain amount of non-perishable foods at the station in anticipation of a loss of food supply.
7.
Encourage your PIOs to perform community outreach functions and speak to civic groups on the topic of enhanced / last-minute preparedness. Fewer victims in a scenario such as this is always a good thing, and cementing the relationship between law enforcement and the general public is worth its weight in gold.
8.
Train all officers on infection control procedures to be used during arrests, to include masking suspects, regular handwashing, and squad car sanitation (see CDC interim guidelines for cleaning EMS transport vehicles). Officers should be equipped with N95 masks, eye protection visors, and nitrile gloves to protect themselves when handling arrestees, and while operating a contaminated vehicle.
9.
Determine a codified “altered standards of response” for periods of reduced staffing. For example, you might be able to justify a “no response” to nuisance calls such as someone playing a stereo too loud, but could you ignore a home invasion? Putting your reasoning in writing and in detail now may prevent future lawsuits.
10.
Once a pandemic is declared and mass social distancing enacted, raise the terror threat alert levels at critical infrastructure sites to red / high, and be ready for this eventuality by assisting these facilities in a review of their preparedness / business continuity plans today.

These are just a few of the hundreds of details law enforcement officers should know during a pandemic. We will try over the coming weeks to provide additional short articles to cover additional concepts.

About the Author

Paul Purcell is a security analyst and preparedness consultant with extensive experience in pandemic influenza readiness planning. More information and additional articles may be found at www.disasterprep101.com.

http://www.disasterprep101.com/documents/BeatHeat.pdf

Beat the Heat and Survive the Summer
By Paul Purcell

The “Dog Days” of summer are almost upon us and record temperatures are sweeping the country. Unfortunately we have the highest number of elderly and medically fragile people in history, and an aging infrastructure that is feeling the strain of heavy electrical use as our senior citizens struggle to stay cool.

We’re here to give you tips and tricks to help you beat the heat should you be susceptible to extreme temperatures, or should your power be out. Here’s a short list of suggestions:
1. Drink plenty of cool water to keep yourself hydrated and reduce your body’s core temperature. (Warm water won’t do this, and cold water might be a shock to sensitive systems.)

Drink regularly, every hour, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid soft drinks and alcoholic drinks that are actually diuretic and rob your body of the water it desperately needs.

2. Eat small, light, non-spicy meals. Eating heavy meals cranks your metabolism and can raise your body temperature. Also, digestion robs you of energy. Since the heat is already robbing you of some energy, you don’t need to add to this drain by taxing the digestive system. However, don’t skip meals since it’s food that replenishes the electrolytes you lose through sweating and increased water consumption.

3. Some sources suggest you wear “light colored, loose fitting clothes” in hot weather. However, that’s only if you’re going outside. If you go outside, go with that rule and also wear a loose fitting hat or carry an umbrella for shade. Forget the fashion rules, follow the heat rules. (By the way, royal blue and/or white are the best colors to wear for their heat reflective qualities. This is why most tarps and boat awnings are blue.) For indoors, forget the clothing rules and go with the “bare as you dare” notion. The more exposed skin you have the more efficient your cooling-by-sweating process can work. Also, be sure to tie up long hair, and if you have a beard, consider shaving in order to remove all that facial insulation. When you do have to go outdoors, limit or schedule your physical activity. For example, if you have to do yard work, do it early in the morning or in the evening when it’s cooler. Too, consider the fact that the “siesta” concept is a pretty good idea. Rest and take it easy during the hotter hours of the day.

4. Though “bare as you dare” is the way to go indoors in limited AC, most of us would prefer to have good air conditioning. If yours is out, or if power sources are uncertain, go someplace that has AC like the mall or other places that don’t mind people coming in and hanging around a while. Also, you can “AC pool” with friends just like you’d car pool. Go to a friend’s house who has a good AC system.

5. Failing to find another source of AC, and considering that the power might be out, here are a couple more tips. First, stand-alone floor unit air conditioners aren’t that expensive and can run off regular household current without the need for the special 220 volt outlets. This means that they can be operated using the smaller gas-powered electric generators. Can’t afford a generator? You can probably afford a power inverter which can sometimes be found for under twenty dollars. They plug into your car’s cigarette lighter and, using an extension cord, can power an appliance like your stand-alone AC, or at least some fans. Speaking of your car, if nothing else, if your car has AC you can ride around during the hottest hours of the day, providing you can afford today’s gas prices. If absolutely nothing else, go to your nearest “dollar store” and see if they have any of those little battery-powered fans.

6. Can’t afford a stand-alone AC but you have a generator? Your generator or power inverter can also power your fridge and/or freezer where you should have two-liter plastic bottles full of water filling up every empty space in both the fridge and freezer. It makes the appliance run more efficiently and having cold water is a great thing. You drink cool water and use cold water to soak towels to wrap around your neck, wrists, and ankles where the veins and arteries are closest to the surface. This is one of the best ways to reduce your body temperature. Also, setting up a few of the frozen
two-liter bottles in front of a fan can blow a nice cool breeze your way. (Write us at info@disasterprep101.com and we’ll email you instructions for a homemade AC unit that uses these two-liter plastic bottles.)

7. Now let’s backtrack a bit and talk about reducing the heat you might experience. Naturally, the first rule is “block the sun.” Do what you can to reduce the sunlight that hits your house or comes in through the windows. Keep the shades drawn, and you might even consider hanging a white sheet or blue tarp as an outside awning on the side(s) of the house that catch the most sun. These tarps are also effective if placed on the roof as they’ll reflect the sun’s rays. These same rules apply to your car while you’re out and about. Park in the shade where you can, and use sun screens (window shades) to help keep your car cool.

8. Next in cooling the house come ventilation and insulation. If you have an attic, and the power is on, you should have a vent fan that keeps air flowing through the attic. Along with that, we suggest you have roof vent turbines, or a ridge vent (your home supply store can tell you all about these). In extremely hot weather, you might set a garden sprinkler on your roof and let it run for the hottest couple of hours of the day provided your area is not on water restriction. As for “insulation” one way to insulate parts of the house is to close off seldom-used rooms (especially those on the sunny side of the house), and close off their AC vents if any. This blocks heat and also reduces the area that your limited AC has to cool.

While we’re here, we’d be remiss in our duties if we failed to give you the symptoms of sunstroke and heat exhaustion, both of which require medical attention:

Heat Exhaustion: Symptoms include heavy sweating, and skin may be pale, cool, or flushed. The victim will also exhibit a weak pulse, with fainting, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.
Sun Stroke: (sometimes called heat stroke): Symptoms are high body temperature, hot, dry, red, skin (usually with no sweating), rapid shallow breathing, and a weak pulse. Sun stroke is the more dangerous of the two.

The most immediate first aid for either of these is to get the victim into a cool spot, and reduce their body temperature with ice-cold wet towels around the neck, wrist, and ankles. You can also put them in a bathtub of cool water. Don’t use cold water in the tub as that will shock the system.

Regardless of your first aid measures, you should seek immediate medical assistance.

Remember, hot weather is nothing to ignore, even if you’re not among the elderly or medically fragile. Heat can affect everyone. Play it safe, stay cool, avoid exertion, and stay healthy. Also, when considering heat safety, don’t forget your pets.

Copyright 2006 - 2007, Paul Purcell. About the author: Paul Purcell is an Atlanta-based security analyst and preparedness consultant with over twenty years risk management and preparedness experience. He’s also the author of Disaster Prep 101 found at www.disasterprep101.com, and he’s a partner / advisor to 1-800-PREPARE found at www.1800PREPARE.com.

(Permission granted to reprint this article and share it with others provided all portions remain intact.)

50 Emergency Uses for Your Camera Phone
by Paul Purcell

In an emergency you’ll not only need to provide and receive help, but after the event is over, you’ll face the prospect of return, repair, and rebuilding. Central to all these activities is communication and documentation. Everything in our society carries a heaping helping of red tape, and disasters are no different. Below are 50 of the many ways one simple tool, in this case the camera phone, can be used in an emergency to help you document, record, and relay some of your more important pieces of information.

Granted, any camera could be used for some of the things listed below, but the phonecam carries a distinct advantage with it. It can immediately transmit the pictures it takes. If you don’t have a phonecam, that’s okay. Go with what you have, or with what you can afford. Disposable film cameras and digital cameras are acceptable, and microcassette recorders that will let you record information verbally are useful as well.

However, the phonecam rules, so let’s look at ways yours can be used in an emergency. The following are excerpts from our book “Disaster Prep 101” found at www.disasterprep101.com.

1. Last minute child ID. Whenever the family might be separated, take a series of last-minute pictures of all family members, especially the kids, and also the pets. You might need this to reunite the family later.

2. Draw a map, shoot it, send it. Trying to send or receive directions to or from a certain location and voice directions just aren’t cutting it? Draw a map on paper, take a picture, and send.

3. Injury photos to the doctor. Suppose you’re in a situation where you can’t get to help and they can’t get to you, and someone’s sick or injured. If there are visible signs or symptoms, your phonecam can relay these to medical personnel who can walk you through whatever treatment is possible where you are.

4. Damage documentation for insurance. In mass catastrophes, it’ll be days or longer before even the first insurance adjusters get there to file claims on your behalf. Photo all the damage you can in case some of it gets repaired or cleaned up before your agent arrives.

5. Report suspicious activity. Are you part of a neighborhood watch group? If you see suspicious activity, you can upload pictures of suspects and the situation to the Police immediately.

6. “Here’s the landmark I’m near.” In an emergency, gathering with the family at a “rendezvous point” is one of the most critical steps you’ll take. If you don’t have a fixed meeting place, you can send pictures of where and what you’re near so the others can find you. This also works well if you’re lost and/or injured in the wilderness and you need to relay pictures of landmarks so Search and Rescue teams can find you.

7. “Meet us at this landmark.” If you have a fixed rendezvous point and you want to relay the info to others, send a pic you already have on file, so others will know where to meet. Take these file photos while compiling your family emergency plan.
8. Photo shopping list. If you’re about to stock your pantry in anticipation of an emergency, such as if you’re planning on sheltering-in-place during a hurricane, take a picture of your pantry as a quick way to list things you need from the store.
9. Driving directions. If you’re trying to tell others where a certain location is, such as an emergency shelter, you can send them a picture by picture set of driving directions. This is another good thing to create while putting your family reaction plan together.

10. “Meet this person.” Let’s say your family had to evacuate, and they know the address they’re supposed to head to, but not everyone has met the family emergency contact person. Send them a picture of the person they’re supposed to meet, or you can send your contact person some pictures of the people heading their way.

11. Last minute property inventory. Just as you’d photo the family in anticipation of an emergency, you should do the same with your property. If you’re about to evacuate, snap some quick shots of your property to include any new purchases not included in your last full home inventory, and to show the current condition of your property in general.
12. “Adventure” journal. Who says every potential disaster situation has to be a total disaster? One way to look at it is as an adventure. Take some pictures to record what you do, the places you go during evacuation, people you meet along the way, etc.

13. Situational severity. In a large-scale emergency, first responders will be spread thin and overworked. They might not have anyone to send to get you out of a partly-flooded neighborhood, or to help put out a tiny grass fire. However, the situation might actually be worse than they understand, and you might need some serious help. Sending a picture of just how bad the situation is might help.

14. Quick text messaging. Time is critical in an emergency and so are communications. You might not have enough time to punch in a text message, and the lines might not be open long enough for a conversation. If that’s the case, write a note on paper, take a picture, and send that.

15. Minor traffic mishap documentation. If you have a minor fender-bender while evacuating, and there are no injuries and no one’s car needs to be towed, most jurisdictions will tell you to “swap info and move along.” If that’s the case (always call 911 to ask and make sure), take photos of the vehicular damage, people involved, witnesses at the scene (and their car tag numbers), and if your phone has video, take video of others involved in the accident to show their injuries (or lack thereof).

16. Wallet backup. Just as you’d photograph family members and property, take pictures of your wallet’s contents (or important documents) in order to record numbers, and show that cards actually are or were in your possession. Be very careful when storing or transmitting these pictures as the info is very sensitive and can be used for identity theft!

17. Inclement weather reporting. If you’re the first one to see the funnel cloud, heavy hail, or a river starting to overflow, sending a picture in to the weather service or proper authorities is undeniable and rapid proof that severe weather or other emergency is occurring.

18. First Responder intel. The more first responders know about the true nature of a collapsed house, an auto accident, a fire in progress, or any other emergency, the more rapid and appropriate a reaction they can make.

19. Missing persons report. Send picture of picture. Let’s say a family member goes missing. In addition to the last minute photos you took, you could also send a picture of a photograph you might have in your purse or wallet. This will save a lot of time for you and the authorities.

20. Relay property damage to or from neighbors. Suppose your neighborhood was heavily damaged in a disaster. Whoever goes home first, either you or your neighbors, could photograph neighborhood and home damage and relay the info to the other.

21. Help insurance adjusters find your property. After a devastating incident, street signs will be gone, house numbers won’t be visible, etc. Take current pictures of landmarks or any kind of unique damage near or at your property. This will make it easier for your insurance adjuster to find you.

22. Copy the bulletin boards. If you’re in an emergency shelter, and there’s an info bulletin board, you might need a lot of the info posted, but not have time to write or anything to write with or on. Take a picture!

23. Bus, subway, or city map info. If you’re anywhere you’re not familiar with and you have any sort of posted map, take a picture of it to refer to later if you get lost.

24. Document your route. When traveling to a new area, and either others will be following later, or you want to be sure you can find your way back, be sure to take pictures along the way of landmarks at turns you make, forks in the road, etc.

25. Record medicines or food brand needs. If you have to relay information about your medications to a doctor, or if you have special dietary needs and need to send information regarding certain product or food brands to an outside person or service, then a picture really is worth a thousand words.

26. Remember parking spot locations. Don’t trust your memory, trust a picture. Take a quick pic of where you left your vehicle either in a lot or in a parking deck.

27. Pic of engine problems for mechanic. Should you break down on the road and your vehicle shows outward signs of engine problems such as steam shooting from a certain hose, or liquids dripping from a place on the engine, send a pic to a mechanic who may be able to talk you through a quick fix to get you back on the road.

28. Business or service function and/or hours. Just as you’d photograph a map, you might want to copy posted business hours or listed service functions (and pricing) for later review and recall. This is also a good way to report price gouging on the road.

29. Allowable child custodian. If you can’t get to your kids who are at school or some other function, relay a picture of the person who is coming in your stead to pick them up. Send this picture to both the school or function, and to your child (if they have their own phonecam).

30. Relay info on injured or hospitalized people. You might be in a position to send pictures to people looking for loved ones or vice-versa.

31. Remember your hotel room. Whenever you get a hotel room, take a picture so you can find your way back. Photo not only the room number on the door, but the name of the motel and adjacent buildings for reference.

32. ID your evac gear. As with all your belongings, take a picture to prove ownership. One situation where this might come in handy is with petty theft in emergency shelters. It’s actually a rare occurrence, but it’s best to be ready to prove things are yours.

33. Photo scavenger hunt. If you’ve settled down a bit, say at your emergency shelter or temporary stopover, you’ll need something to entertain the kids. Give them a short list of things they should take a picture of. First one to take all the listed pictures wins!

34. Identify the close-up. Another entertainment idea is to take a really close up picture of something while the kids aren’t looking, and have them figure out what it is.

35. Document your whereabouts during civil unrest. Another remote possibility, but since these things do happen, it’s best to be ready. Let’s say you’re in a location where looting is occurring, or rioting about to happen. You can either help the Police by secretively taking pictures of the perpetrators (not really recommended for safety reasons), or you can take pictures as you’re leaving the area to document the fact that you weren’t part of the trouble.

36. ID the rescue team. If a rescuer is picking up your child or pet, you want to photo the rescuer (and the child or pet) and the vehicle they used. Get their name tag in the picture as well as registration numbers on helicopters, vehicle tags numbers, or names of boats.

37. Document your cleanup efforts. It may be a while before your insurance adjuster can arrive. Take pictures of the damage as you found it, and steps you took during cleanup. Regarding insurance or recovery grants, NOTHING beats documentation!

38. Document your repair or cleanup expenditures. If you buy goods or supplies, rent equipment, or hire a service, in addition to keeping your receipts, be sure to photograph the goods acquired, the equipment being used, or the service being performed (also photo the people involved where possible).

39. Transmit property item pics to retrieval companies. Some scenarios will see you unable to return home. Some companies are trained and equipped to go into these areas to help people gather certain belongings. Having property photos stored on your phone will allow you to send pictures of specific property items you’d like retrieved.

40. Document location / status of fellow evacuees. Authorities will not only want to know who is injured, dead, or missing, but they’ll want to know who is okay and where they are. Taking pictures of those you meet along with way whether it’s during an evacuation, or of people at your emergency shelter, will help ID the living and well.

41. Bridge the language barrier. A picture is worth a thousand words. Ever try to find the restroom in a foreign country and you didn’t know the proper phrase? Imagine how guests in our country would feel in emergency situations where they needed much more than a restroom and didn’t know how to ask. Pictures would make that process a hundred times easier, whether you’re trying to understand their needs, or relay yours to them.

42. Transmit road conditions. Let’s say after a hurricane, you’re one of the first families returning to a damaged area, and you’re taking back roads. Authorities (or others following you later) might not have had a chance to check every avenue of return. If there’s damage that needs to be reported, or no damage at all (which should also be reported), sending a picture can relay tons of information, especially if a roadway has received damage and road crews need to know what kind of damage and its extent.

43. Relay traffic conditions. If family or group members are separated, or heading in different directions, you might need to pass along traffic conditions or the info from traffic warning signs.

44. Crime scene evidence. Many times, people have returned from an evacuation to a home that was undamaged during the event, but later looted. Since the Police might not be able to show up right away, go ahead and take “crime scene” photos (for both Police and insurance) just as you’d photograph your property if it was damaged in the event.

45. Too much info on the screen to copy? Shoot it. Should the TV flash some pertinent information on the screen and you don’t have time to write it down, or should you have a lot of text on a computer screen and you can’t print it out, take a picture for later review.

46. Positive ID to or from your doctor and/or pharmacy. Medical needs are a very real probability during an emergency. Since you can’t get to your doctor in person, and they might be phoning in a prescription to a pharmacy that doesn’t know either of you, use your phone to verify your identity to your doctor, and your doctor can relay the picture to the pharmacy so they’ll know who’s coming to get the meds.

47. Emergency supply information. Suppose a developing emergency has caught you low on goods or gear and you send different people to different locations to help stock up. If supplies are low, these family members may need to send a picture of the types or brands of items available so you can make educated purchase decisions.

48. Picture file of “Last Minute List” items and shutdown. Though everyone should keep a “bugout kit” packed and ready to go, there will be items which cannot duplicated and/or packed in advance. In addition to creating a written “Last Minute List,” create a photo file showing all the items you want to take with you (and their location) and things you should do to shut down and secure the house before leaving.

49. Evac atlas. Create your own “evac travel atlas” of emergency assets available along your probable evacuation routes. This might include lodging, ATM locations, hospital emergency rooms, etc. Travel the routes and take photos, or draw your own maps and shoot that.

50. Photo reaction plan for the reading disabled. If a family member suffers from any reading disability, such as Dyslexia, using photos is a must. Create a photo file that will relay your entire emergency plan without using text.

51. Since InfoQuest always does more than expected, here’s a bonus idea. Your camera phone can relay pictures of structural damage to a structural engineer who can tell you how to shore up certain walls, where safe spots might be, where hidden dangers might be, etc., as your Search and Rescue team looks through a collapsed building for survivors.
These are just some of the many ways a camera phone can be used to help in an emergency. Take a look around at your family and your current threats, needs, and assets and look at ways you can put your phonecam to use. Better yet, look at the things you can do so that your phonecam isn’t needed at all!

Copyright 2005 - 2007, Paul Purcell. About the author: Paul Purcell is an Atlanta-based security analyst and preparedness consultant with over twenty years risk management and preparedness experience. He’s also the author of Disaster Prep 101 found at www.disasterprep101.com, and he’s a partner / advisor to 1-800-PREPARE found at www.1800PREPARE.com.

(Permission granted to reprint this article and share it with others provided all portions remain intact.)

http://www.disasterprep101.com/documents/50PhoneCam.pdf

Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Infections Associated with Beef from JBS Swift Beef Company

Several state health departments, CDC, and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections. On June 24, FSIS issued a notice about a recall of 41,280 pounds of beef products from JBS Swift Beef Company that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. On June 28, the recall was expanded to include 380,000 pounds of assorted pieces of beef (beef primal products) from the same company. Health officials in several states who were investigating reports of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses found that most ill persons had consumed ground beef, and many reported that it was undercooked. At least some of the illnesses appear to be associated with products subject to these recalls. Samples from unopened packages of ground beef recovered from a patient’s home were tested by the Michigan Public Health Laboratory yielded an E. coli O157:H7 isolate that matched the “DNA fingerprint” of the outbreak strain.

Twenty three persons infected with a strain of E. coli O157:H7 with a particular “DNA fingerprint” have been reported from 9 states. Of these, 17 have been confirmed by an advanced DNA test as having the outbreak strain; confirmatory tests are pending on others. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: California (4), Maine (1), Michigan (6), Minnesota (1), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (2), New Mexico (1), New York (1) and Wisconsin (6).

Most ill persons reported consumption of ground beef, and many reported that it was undercooked. Ground beef with the outbreak strain was obtained from the home of one person infected with that strain. The first reported illness began on April 2, 2009, and the last began on June 13, 2009. Among 17 ill persons for whom hospitalization status is known, 12 (70%) were hospitalized. Two patients developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No deaths have been reported. Of patients with available information, 14 (64%) were male and 59% are less than 19 years old (range 2 to 74 years).

Most of the beef packages in the first recall bear the establishment number “Est. 969” inside the USDA mark of inspection and have identifying package dates of “042109” or “042209.” Consumers are urged to check their refrigerators and freezers for beef products produced by this firm and purchased on or after April 21, 2009 and discard or return the recalled beef products to the place of purchase for a refund. The pieces of beef (primal beef products) in the expanded recall were produced on April 21, 2009, and were distributed nationally and internationally. Boxes of these pieces of beef bear the establishment number “EST. 969” inside the USDA mark of inspection, the identifying package date of “042109,” and a time stamp ranging from “0618” to “1130.” These pieces of beef were sold to retail stores nationwide after April 21, 2009, and some was probably cut again or made into ground beef, then re-packaged, so packages purchased by consumers may not have identifying information. Customers with questions about the source of a package of beef should contact the place where they purchased it (e.g., grocery store, club store, or meat market).

More information on the recalled products can be found at:

* Colorado Firm Expands Recall of Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination (June 24 recall)
* Colorado Firm Expands Recall of Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination (June 28 recall)

Advice to Consumers
Cook Beef Thoroughly

Eat ground beef or ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160° F.

* Use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature—it is the only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria.
* Color is NOT a reliable indicator that ground beef or ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7.

For more information go to Is It Done Yet? (USDA)*.
Refrigerate Meats

* Refrigerate raw meat within two hours after purchase or within one hour if temperatures exceed 90° F.
* Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking.

Consumers who have questions about the recalled products can contact USDA-FSIS at “Ask Karen” online at www.AskKaren.gov* or call the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (674-6854). Because any raw ground beef can contain disease-causing germs, CDC and USDA-FSIS encourage consumers to use good food safety practices and to heed the following advice:

* To keep food safe, remember to Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. For more food safety information visit www.BeFoodSafe.gov*.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm170638.htm

[Is this one aimed at Freepers???? granny]

Recall — Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Kroger Recalls Three Seasonings Due to Possible Health Risk

Kroger Contacts:
Media: Meghan Glynn (513) 762-1304
Investors: Carin Fike (513) 762-4969

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — CINCINNATI, Ohio, June 30, 2009 – The Kroger Co. said today it is recalling Kroger Popcorn Seasoning Movie Theater Butter Flavored, Kroger Popcorn Seasoning White Cheddar Flavored, and Kroger Fat Free Butter Flavored Sprinkles sold in some of its retail stores because the Company has been made aware by a supplier that an ingredient in the product may have been contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the Kroger products.

Stores the company operates under the following names did not receive any of the seasonings being recalled: Ralphs, Smith’s, Fred Meyer, QFC, Fry’s, King Soopers, City Market, and Foods Co.

Kroger is recalling the following items:

* Kroger Popcorn Seasoning Movie Theater Butter Flavored sold in 2.82-ounce jars with a sell-by date of JUN 08 10 under the following UPC code: 011110 72445.
* Kroger Popcorn Seasoning White Cheddar Flavored sold in 2.82-ounce jars with a sell-by date of JUN 09 10 under the following UPC code: 011110 72444. These two seasonings were sold in Kroger stores in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia; Dillons and Gerbes stores in Kansas and Missouri; Baker’s stores in Nebraska; and Food 4 Less, Hilander, Jay C, Owen’s, Pay Less and Scott’s stores in Illinois and Indiana.

* Kroger Fat Free Butter Flavored Sprinkles sold in 2-ounce jars with sell-by dates of JUN 08 10 and JUN 09 10 under the following UPC code: 011110 66853. This seasoning was sold in Kroger stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

Customers who have purchased the above products should not consume them and should return them to a store for a full refund or replacement.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and/or abdominal pain. For more information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at www.cdc.gov.

Consumers who have questions about this recall may contact Kroger toll-free at (800) 632-6900. For more information, please visit www.kroger.com/recalls.

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Photo: Product Label

RSS Feed for FDA Recalls Information [what’s this?]

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Page Last Updated: 07/06/2009

http://survivingthemiddleclasscrash.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/the-homestead-revolution-happy-slaves/#more-914

The Homestead Revolution – Happy Slaves
Posted by Barbara Peterson

By Ed Howes

Happy Slaves

The lowly earthworm, slaughtered by the trillions or zillions by chemical, corporate, money lover agriculture, is worth many times the pennies it costs to buy your starter stock, if they are not readily available for free. The profitable organic food producer raises them in controlled conditions to increase their rates of reproduction, foil predators and to prevent their escape. Worms are the cheapest labor you can get for your food crops. They work night and day tilling soil for food, which you provide them. They like decaying plant material to eat and they especially like to eat compost. The castings, or worm manure is superior to fresh compost as plant food. As your worm farm – ranch grows in size, you have more and more to add to new garden beds and tree holes. Plant quality and crop volumes sky rocket, requiring mechanical supports.

There is money being made in raising worms for sale and if I have my way, there will be a lot more to be made in the future. However, I find them far more valuable than their market price as personal assistants and manufacturers of organic, super potting soil. My focus will be on finding space for them and feeding them well. There are two types of worms of interest to the gardener. Common earthworms as you may have in your yard, make permanent tunnels and go as deep as two feet. We definitely want lots of them around our plants. Redworms do not make permanent tunnels, like living in rotting manure and garbage beds and stay within about six inches of the surface if it is not too hot, cold or dry. They will eat vegetarian manures and just about any plant materials. They reproduce faster than common earthworms and can be raised indoors for purposes of experiments and breeding. These are the ones that will produce more rich potting soil, dollar for dollar. Feed, water, protect from natural predators and they will help you grow superior plants of every description. Eat the fruit of these plants and you will be superior too. And you will know the difference.

The products and knowledge exist that allow us to grow the best food ever grown in the history of mankind, nearly anywhere we choose to grow it. The best food ever grown will have no shortage of customers for it, good times or bad. In a few years, supermarket produce sections will be pointless. Superfood will have the markets sewed up. Corporate farmers throw in the towel or specialize in non food crops. Old, depleted land comes onto the market for real people to regenerate and restore, at prices real people can afford. We are not going to replace the rainforests in a hurry but why can’t we cover the world in orchards, gardens and vineyards? Wouldn’t this help reduce carbon dioxide levels and reduce the greenhouse effect? It starts in my yard and yours, spreads from there as we choose to expand our own operations and encourage the involvement of others. We think about costs and how we can do more at lower cost. This creates models for the rest of the world. In my vision, poverty is a personal choice, not a fact of life – everywhere.

Quiet Revolution

The Homestead Revolution does not violently overthrow the status quo and corporate, money lover world. It builds a coexisting alternative to accommodate those who want out of the status quo.The greater the accommodation, the more people will opt out.The more people opt out, the less control and manipulation the corporate world wields over its remaining supporters and revolutionaries. This revolution is not subject to legislation and military force. Grassroots political structures can be easily created to gain control of county governments, state governments and lastly, the national government, instead of the usually futile attempts to create top down change.

The homestead revolutionary is free to pursue a quiet life of solitude in total independence from others. Yet, most will work toward improving social contracts at the local level and choose interdependence. We can more readily depend on others when we know it is our choice to do so and we are in a position to end that dependence any time. It is the best of all worlds in my opinion. Food production in a responsible manner, increases our connectedness to each other, wildlife and the natural world. We become less interested in what is in it for us and more interested in how we can help – the comparative values and attitudes of the old order and its new replacement. As we gain independence in our basic life needs, we gain spiritual enlightenment we can share with others, near and far. We become enabled, then empowered, no longer at the mercy of money lovers.

The Homestead Revolution changes the global value system. People, labor and spirit become the new money, the new capital. Partnerships become the measure of wealth, not bank accounts. Locally invested profits insulate the local community from global crisis and money lover economics. We know people often profit from crisis. Maybe it is our turn to be the ones to profit, at the same time we reduce the consequences of corporate dominion throughout the world. The corporate world needs the crises it creates to maintain power. The corporate world will drive people into the Homestead Revolution, once it is up and running. When your enemy increases your numbers, it is so much easier to love your enemy.

Just as terrorists use the Western money lover establishment to their own advantage, the non violent revolutionary can do quite the same. As we decrease demand for corporate product, that which we want temporarily becomes cheaper for everyone. The corporate world, for all its money, military and political puppets, cannot compete with a superior economic value system – it can only compete with those embracing the same value system. Why don’t we put ourselves to work creating a superior value system? Learn the true and potential value of slaves and souls and suddenly no one on earth is expendable or disposable. We can have it, if we want it. When enough of us have had our fill of restriction, repression and corporate fantasy, we will create a very different world. Or, maybe we’ll just leave it to the survivors of the Old World Order. The non violent Homestead Revolution is my alternative to terrorism. In fact, it shares the same goal as the terrorists – destroy an unjust value system. We don’t need the violence and we have a practical alternative. What is your alternative? “Come out of her, my people, that you do not partake of her plagues.” Though today we partake of her plagues and pretend the benefits are worth all the suffering, we know in our hearts there has to be a better way. It has long been my desire to share the one I could see best and now I have.

Here is to liberty and survival, comfort and personal security for the few who see the writing on the wall. We have an opportunity to change an ancient, corrupt value system and benefit everyone on earth. We will never see a better offer. Before you take up arms against your money loving oppressors, please remember you once had a non violent alternative. What did you do with it? Let us daily increase in wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity.

http://survivingthemiddleclasscrash.wordpress.com/scrumptious-recipes/

Barbara Peterson Says:

March 26, 2008 at 1:56 am

This is my own recipe I call Apple Cornbread Delight. It is sugar-free!

Tools & Ingredients:

1 small flat Pyrex dish with lid
1 stick butter
Sliced cornbread
Agave syrup
H2O
Gravenstein apple (or equivalent sweet apple)

Instructions:

Slice butter cube thinly and place 1/3 to 1/2 cube on bottom of Pyrex dish.

Put 2 TBS H2O on the butter.

Slice apple in thin to medium slices and place on top of butter/H2O.

Sprinkle a liberal amount of Agave on the apples.

Place the cornbread on top of this.

Sprinkle more Agave on the cornbread.

Place some more butter slices around the sides.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Uncover for the last 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

#
Kathryn Smith Says:

March 29, 2008 at 10:43 am

GLUTEN-FREE BAKED FOODS

I served my gluten-free chocolate chip cookies at a party attended by people who don’t even eat gluten-free food. All present commented on how good these cookies are, and nobody noticed that they are wheat-free. In fact, they were surprised to find out.

I have had many compliments on my gluten-free muffins and cakes as well. Again, most present don’t notice the difference between my gluten-free baked goods and a regular wheat-containing recipe. My cakes come out light and fluffy, and my chocolate chip cookies are a command performance. And I never use a gluten-free mix, for reasons discussed below.

MY SECRET IN GLUTEN-FREE BAKING is to add an extra egg to a regular wheat flour recipe, to hold the batter together and lighten the texture. Some cake recipes may require two extra eggs: Use your judgement. The more eggs, the lighter the texture and the thinner the batter.

I use white or brown rice flour. I also use finely-grated nuts from my food processor or blender, when possible. I mix the ground nuts in a 1:1 ratio with the rice flour. Where the chocolate chip cookies are concerned these ground nuts make a real difference in the taste and texture alike. But the recipe is still quite good without the ground nuts.

You can buy ground almonds quite inexpensively from Trader Joe’s, about $5 per pound. Of course, ground walnuts are always less expensive. Ground hazelnuts or filberts add a distinctive flavor which is a classic in German baking, and mixes beautifully with chocolate as the Germans do.

NOTE: Studies on Pubmed, the government medical database, indicate that dogs fed a regular diet containing xanthan gum, which is often used in gluten-free mixes, resulted in enlarged livers. I suggest it’s important to minimize consumption of this heavy-duty gum which, after all, is used to hold cement together and to firm it up. I have checked the Pubmed website in regard to guar gum, which seems to be much more harmless, at least according to what I could turn up about the subject. But we never know what will be discovered years later, and gums are gums. I suggest avoidance, as extra precaution.

Gluten intolerance is chronically under-diagnosed and creates a medical syndrome, the technical term for a chain reaction throughout various bodily systems. An excellent educational source is clinical nutritionist Elizabeth Lipski’s booklet, “Leaky Gut Syndrome”. Discusses symptoms, causes, solutions, and medical testing alike. Very lay-friendly and short in format, yet very in-depth at the same time. Superb!
#
Barbara Peterson Says:

April 19, 2008 at 2:30 am

Unleavened Bread

I got this recipe from Penny. If you celebrate Passover, you will love it. Even if you don’t, you will love it.

1 cup flour (we use whole wheat)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tblspns olive oil or grapeola
1/4 cup water

Mix flour, salt, oil, and water

Knead on floured bread board

Place a small amount of flour on top and roll out flat

Turn over and roll out to desired thinness

Perforate with fork

Place on cookie sheet

Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes

Enjoy!

Barb
#
Barbara Peterson Says:

May 13, 2008 at 11:54 pm

I am a little bit here, little bit there kind of cook, so it is difficult to share my recipes, but here goes. Here is one I call

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Chicken Soup

Grab a chicken from the yard, and do the dirty deed or have your husband do it.

Skin the chicken and clean out the insides, saving the innards for Oggie Dog’s Chicken Soup.

Grab a large pot with a lid, fill it with water, and put the cleaned chicken in it.

Bring the water to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.

Remove from heat and cool until it is cool enough to put in the fridge.

Place pot with the lid on it in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, skim the fat off the top of the soup.

Remove the chicken and debone it, placing the chicken back in the pot with the broth.

The bones go to Rita bird and the cats.

Bring the soup back to a boil, then simmer.

Put a couple of cups of rice into the soup.

Season to taste. I usually use salt, thyme, dill, sage, a pinch of marjoram, and dried wild celery.

Take whatever veggies you have handy such as carrots, green beans, blackeyed peas, green peas, corn, etc., and put them into the pot.

Simmer with the lid on until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally.

This is a fun recipe that makes a huge batch of soup suitable for freezing.

Barb
#
Barbara Peterson Says:

June 8, 2008 at 2:19 am

Well, it’s the third day and my Alfalfa seeds are sprouting. If you haven’t checked out the page on how to sprout alfalfa seeds easily and quickly, here is the link:

http://www.backyardnature.net/simple/alf-spr.htm

All it takes is a jar, a nylon stocking or small screen, and a jar ring or rubber band.

Place a couple of tablespoons of the seeds in the jar, put the stocking or screen on and secure with the ring or rubber band.

Fill the jar about 2/3 full of water overnight to soak the seeds.

The next day, pour the water out through the screen, and fill the jar again. Swish the water around to wash the seeds, then pour it out. Do this a couple of times to clean the seeds.

After you have poured the last bit of water out, shake the seeds around a bit so that they do not clump. You DO want them to stick to the sides of the jar.

Keep doing this every day and in less than a week you will have delicious alfalfa sprouts.

Barb

[Each title is a link to a different site, plus hidden urls...

I know it can be done, as Ben Gilbough and Barny Oldfield built an electric generator of a Franklin car rear end and a regular windmill, in 1910.

In the 1960’s Ben still lived in the home and his electric lights at night, were from the windmill generator.....

Our home was built on a part of his land and he was still going strong in the mid 1960’s....
granny]

http://www.webpal.org/b_recovery/3_alternate_energy/electricity/all_low_rpm/low_rpm_index.htm

MENU: HOME » Reconstruction » Recovery » Renewal » Energy Types

Low RPM Generators
This is the main page on this site regarding the construction of generators. While many of the examples are regarding wind driven generators, the principles regarding the generators themselves apply equally to other motive sources. Anyone contemplating building a low rpm generator should look through all the sources on this page. Those persons specifically building a wind generator should also look at our “WIND” page which has on it many things specific to wind generators such as towers, blades, tails and testing them.

Comparison of Generators and Alternators

Most generators and alternators (like off of a car) need to revolve at around 1800 rpm (that is they have to make 1800 revolutions per minute in order to generate power) and it is often difficult to get a third of that speed with most homemade wind, water or other sources.

Overview: Comparison of Alternators and Generators

SEALED: Comparison of Alternators and Generators

This is the SEALED mirrored version of this site that won’t be opened until after The Great Catastrophe.

Low RPM Generators and Alternators

Since the difficulty with most generators is that you have to turn them too fast before they start generating power these low RPM ones are neat because they put out power at low rpm and so will work with a bicycle, a low head water source, or lower wind power.

The low RPM generators will start generating power at around 100 rpm and remain efficient up to about 600 rpm. Their “sweet spot” is often around 400 rpm but it will vary from generator to generator.

SEALED: Wooden Low RPM Alternators (SEALED)

This is a SEALED mirrored site that won’t be opened until after The Great Catastrophe. This and the link following give more information about building wooden generators. Much of the information is available through the open links.

SEALED: Alternator from Scratch (SEALED)

This is a SEALED mirrored site that won’t be opened until after The Great Catastrophe. The reason that they are mirrored here is that hopefully this way the information will be available later - even if the open links no longer are. Special plans are being made to protect to protect these pages and to distribute them afterwards.

Brakedrum Generators and Alternators

Brakedrum: Use the brakedrum off an old pickup truck to make a low RPM generator!

Although the literature says these brakedrum generators are easy to make, we made ten of them and found it a considerable challenge. Nevertheless, they all worked reliably and are very durable.

SEALED: brakedrum_update

This is the SEALED mirrored version of this site that won’t be opened until after The Great Catastrophe.

Front Disk Generators and Alternators

There seems to be a trend away from brakedrums to disks. Talking with Hugh Piggot, he tells me that he is writing a new book on this subject.

Disk 1: Forcefield Low RPM Disk Alternator

SEALED: Forcefield Low RPM Disk Alternator

This is the SEALED mirrored version of this site that won’t be opened until after The Great Catastrophe.

Disk 2: Making a Volvo Front Brake Disk into a Generator

More details from the same source - on the same idea.

SEALED: Making a Volvo Front Brake Disk into a Generator

This is the SEALED mirrored version of this site that won’t be opened until after The Great Catastrophe.

Wooden Generators and Alternators

Some wind generator designs can be put together very quickly. You can carve less elegant blade designs in an hour or two. Some motors can be used as generators. People have gone out and stuck their wind generators up on top of a hydro pole that is not being used. Hopefully the need is only temporary anyhow, until a more permanent source of electricty is re-established.

These may not produce so much electricity as a metal based generator and may be not as durable but they may be more accessible for one of the main components.

Simplest: Wood Axe

This one is particularly fast to build. Even if you don’t build it you should study this one because the pictures and explanation by Force Field are so excellent.

SEALED: Wood Axe (SEALED)

This is this SEALED mirrored site that won’t be opened until after The Great Catastrophe. This and the two sealed links following give more information about building wooden generators. Much of the information is available through other open links.

SEALED: Homebrew Windgenerator (SEALED)

This is a SEALED mirrored site that won’t be opened until after The Great Catastrophe. Much of the information is available through other open links.

Wooden 2: all the plans and information for another wooden one

BUT these are 9 pages of plans mirrored in .pdf format from Home Power Issue #88 are ones that you can download and print off NOW.

Wooden 3: A key set of plans to study

These are 49 mirrored pages of plans in .pdf format are ones that you can download and print off NOW. While you may not build this unit - you should definitely study these plans from Hugh Piggot because they give you details on many subjects such as how to build a coiler, the winding of a coil and how to wire the coils together.

SEALED: Additional Info on Coils (SEALED)

This is a SEALED mirrored site that won’t be opened until after The Great Catastrophe. Much of the information is available through other open links.

On-line Info: Lots of info on build it yourself windmills

This is a link to Hugh Piggot’s website. Hugh lives in Scotland. This is probably the world’s most authoritative source for build it yourself windmills. For those who look into it ahead of time they can get Hugh’s book. We also have a .pdf file from Hugh (available on our low rpm generators page) - that gives LOTS of details.

On-line Info: North American Source for Hugh’s info.

This is a link to Bob Budd’s website. Bob has built lots of Hugh Piggot’s brakedrum windmills, and he has put out a superb video on how to do it. I have watched the video many, many times with many people and have talked with Bob tens of times, and have gone to visit him and see his windmills in the process of our building ten generators ourselves.

Other Generators and Alternators

Microwave Oven: Making a Microwave Oven into a Generator

This is a particularly neat idea and there are lots of neat ideas at the Windstuff Now site.

SEALED: Making a Microwave Oven into a Generator

This is the SEALED mirrored version of this site that won’t be opened until after The Great Catastrophe.

Testing

Experiment: Testing your theories

Here are some experiments done by another individual developing a low rpm generator. It is an example of the kind of approach that you may wish to take.

Sealed: Testing your theories
Same as above but sealed until after the Holocaust.

This would be old stuff, if only the terrorists did not have nuclear weapons now, in Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea and who knows who else they have shared them with.
granny

http://www.webpal.org/webpal/ad_intro.htm

RESOURCES SITE MAP
Resources for Survival of Nuclear Holocaust

State by State - Survival Information

Nuclear Power Plants

Links to Target Maps (+ survival info) of All 50 States

Target update information

The Ark Two Community

Map of the Interior of the Shelter

Map to the location of Ark Two

Pictures of the Inside of the Shelter

Pictures of the outside of the Shelter

Pictures of the Shelter Construction

Life in the Ark Two Community

Ark Two Programs

The Ark Two Community TEAM leaders

Radiation and Detectors

Official Government Detector Instructions

My explanation - with pictures

Understanding Radiation

How to build a KFM

Free Books for Downloading

You Will Survive Doomsday - HTML

You Will Survive Doomsday - .pdf

11 Steps To Survival - HTML

11 Steps To Survival - .pdf

Your Basement Fallout Shelter - .pdf

Fallout On The Farm - .pdf

Nuclear Weapons Defense Manual - .pdf

Nuclear Weapons Defense Manual - Tables - .pdf

Nuclear Weapons Effects - Radiological Scientific Officers Handbook - .pdf

Nuclear War Survival Skills - (replica)

Ark Two Programs

Overall Purpose of the Programs

Survival Education

Agricultural Recovery

Radiological Monitoring Equipment

Economic recovery

KI Potassium Iodide

State by State Recovery

Family Registry

Information Broadcast

Social Reorganization

Shelter Building (+ offsite links)

A two bus shelter for 24 people

Easy Printing Plans for a Basement Shelter

(offsite links for bug out kits)

(offsite link for KI - Potassium Iodide)

Filtering Air in a shelter

Kearny Air Pump

Ventilation

Free Consultation on Shelter Building

HOME / Reconstruction / Recovery / Renewal / Survival / Ark Two

http://www.webpal.org/webpal/d_resources/arktwo/index.htm

The Ark Two Community
The Ark Two Community is the largest pluralistic survival community in North America without any political, religious, or cultural bias. Its purpose is to ameliorate the catastrophe of a nuclear war and to help restore civilization. Inquiries from all are invited. Write an email to:
survival@webpal.org

The Ark Two Refuge Facility

The Ark Two Community in Canada has a 10,000 sq/ft nuclear fallout shelter as part of its refuge facility. This may be the largest Privately Constructed nuclear fallout shelter in the world. Below are links to photos of it.

Click on photo to link

Construction Photos of the shelter

Forty-two school buses were used as permanent forms for the concrete shelter that was then covered with 5-14 feet of earth. These pictures show the construction process.

Click on photo to enlarge

Artist’s concept of the interior of the shelter

The shelter is so large that it is impossible to see it all at once and this artists drawing perhaps gives the best overall view. You will need to enlarge the linked picture in your browser in order to be able see the details.

Click on photo to enlarge

Map of the interior

Map of the interior of the shelter

Even inside the shelter there are placed maps so that people can find their way from one place to another. This is a copy of that map. Again, you will need to enlarge the linked picture in your browser in order to be able see the details.

Click on photo to link

Interior Photos of the shelter

There are dozens of different rooms within the shelter. The photos in this link show you many of them and tell you about most of the others.

Click on photo to link

Inside Photo of The Well

The Miracle of the Well

Miracles are only miracles for those who actually experience them. So you would have had to be there, but I tell you what seemed to me a miraculous experience in how it is that we have come to have an inside well.

Click on photo to link

Exterior Photos

Exterior Photos of the Refuge Facility

Through this link you can take a tour around the outside of the shelter, which also helps one to understand many of its features.

Click on photo to enlarge

MAP to the location of the Refuge Facility

We tell everyone exactly where the shelter is. Everyone who is local already knows about it and anyone who is not prepared to come to it wouldn’t make it here anyway - with the suddenness of the catastrophe that we expect. The shelter is located in a small village at the end of a cul-de-sac, surrounded by a high fence and a cliff. It is strongly fortified.

Click on photo to link

Photo Outside

History of the Project

This a picture of myself. Many see a similarity between the shelter and Noah’s Ark and their name Ark Two just stuck. Some also think they see some similarity between myself and Noah, but I am not a prophet, I receive no revelations, and have no pretensions in that regard. However, building the shelter has been an adventure and if you would like to know more about the events surrounding its construction - I give some of the history here.

Anyone is welcome to join the Ark Two Survival Community (located in Ontario, Canada) - so long as they do so before the catastrophe occurs. The Ark Two Community is founded and commanded by a government trained and certified Radiological Scientific Officer.

The purpose of the Ark Two Survival Community is to ameliorate the effects of a Nuclear War and to help reorganize society afterwards. The community founder believes that a nuclear war is inevitable and therefore in 1980 built the first phase of the Ark Two Refuge and has since expanded it and prepared many ways to assist survivors - as listed on this web site.

The project has not been favorably received by the local and provincial governments. By 1990, when I stopped counting, it had been subject to over 30 court and commission appearances and that number has greatly increased in the years that followed. Legal costs mounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 1999 there was a raid without warrants involving 7 police vehicles, 4 fire units and over 40 personnel and a K-9 unit, coincidentally caught on video tape by the CBC. Subsequently the facility was hounded with repeated government inspections. Some of the inspectors candidly admitted that it was just harassment, but because of wanting to keep their jobs they of course were not going to put that into writing. It is for this reason that one might refer to the facility as Waco North. A kinder, gentler Canadian version in that The Ark doesn’t have any weapons and in that so far no one has been killed by the raiders.

The general public views the project as being operated by an eccentric (in the most favorable terms) or by a nut-case in what is the more usual expressed attitude. For the forty years in which I have built over two dozen shelters and have consulted on many dozens of others, the general ridicule has been extensive, to say the least. “Why do it then?”, I have often been asked. Why not get a life, enjoy life and quit worrying about doomsday? The answer is that I don’t see the purpose of life, nor happiness in life measured in how many rounds of golf I might play, but rather in service to my fellowman. While I don’t have any “visions” or hear any “voices” this appears to me to be a service to which I have been called.

Still, the shelter remains. Waiting and ready. It has been welded shut by the government but that has only made it secure. If the need arises it can be immediately opened and activated. Equipment and supplies are stored and ready. Members of the Ark Two Community meet regularly and each know their tasks and responsibilities in activating it. We continue to review and improve upon the plans and equipment. We continue to seek others who are interested in the project and can help with it.

You can click here to learn more about Ark Two Community Life

MENU: HOME » SURVIVAL » Index of States

http://dinil-divakaran.livejournal.com/70961.html

Patents (again and again)
I don’t understand - what does patent on (the treatment using) ginger mean?! Anyone out there to enlighten?

India moves to protect traditional medicines from foreign patents | World news | guardian.co.uk

In the first step by a developing country to stop multinational companies patenting traditional remedies from local plants and animals, the Indian government has effectively licensed 200,000 local treatments as “public property” free for anyone to use but no one to sell as a “brand”.

The move comes after scientists in Delhi noticed an alarming trend – the “bio-prospecting” of natural remedies by companies abroad. After trawling through the records of the global trademark offices, officials found 5,000 patents had been issued — at a cost of at least $150m (£104m) — for “medical plants and traditional systems”.

“More than 2,000 of these belong to the Indian systems of medicine … We began to ask why multinational companies were spending millions of dollars to patent treatments that so many lobbies in Europe deny work at all,” said Dr Vinod Kumar Gupta, who heads the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, which lists in encyclopaedic detail the 200,000 treatments.

............

Gupta points out that in Brussels alone there had been 285 patents for medicinal plants whose uses had long been known in the three principal Indian systems: ayurveda, India’s traditional medical treatment; unani, a system believed to have come to India via ancient Greece; and siddha, one of India’s oldest health therapies, from the south.

Researchers found that in Europe one company had patented an Indian creeping plant known as Brahmi — Bacopa monnieri — for a memory enhancer. Another patent was awarded for aloe vera for its use as a mouth ulcer treatment.

“We have shown the authorities that ayurveda, unani and siddha medicinal uses were known in India. We would like the patents therefore lifted,” said Gupta.

In the past India has had to go to court to get patents revoked. Officials say that to lift patents from medicines created from turmeric and neem, an Indian tree, it spent more than $5m. In the case of the neem patent, the legal battle took almost 10 years.

“We won because we proved these were part of traditional Indian knowledge. There was no innovation and therefore no patent should be granted,” said Gupta.

Yoga, too, is considered a traditional medicine and one that is already a billion-dollar industry in the US. Gupta said the Indian government had already asked the US to register yoga as a “well-known” mark and raised concerns over the 130 yoga-related patents issued.

“We want no one to appropriate the yoga brand for themselves. There are 1,500 asanas [yogic poses] and exercises given in our ancient texts. We are transcribing these so they too cannot be appropriated by anyone.

“We have had instances where people have patented a yoga technique by describing a certain temperature. This is simply wrong.”

India is also unusual in that it has seven national medical systems — of which modern medicine is but one. Almost four-fifths of India’s billion people use traditional medicine and there are 430,000 ayurvedic medical practitioners registered by the government in the country. The department overseeing the traditional medical industry, known as Ayush, has a budget of 10bn rupees ($260m).

India’s battle to protect its traditional treatments is rooted in the belief that the developing world’s rich biodiversity is a potential treasure trove of starting material for new drugs and crops. Gupta said that it costs the west $15bn and 15 years to produce a “blockbuster drug”. A patent lasts for 20 years, so a pharmaceutical company has just five years to recover its costs — which makes conventional treatments expensive.

“If you can take a natural remedy and isolate the active ingredient then you just need drug trials and the marketing. Traditional medicine could herald a new age of cheap drugs.”

Medicines ancient and modern

Ginger: Patented to treat obesity. However, officials have found that in a Siddha preparation, extracts of ginger root are used in a treatment for obesity