Saturday, May 14, 2011

The Family Grain Mill Review

In an experiment in 1970, a biochemist at the University of Texas, fed "enriched" white bread to rats for three months; two-thirds died, the others became sick (Basey). It is no wonder that more and more people are turning to whole-grain foods for sustenance; in fact, many prefer to grind their own wheat at home using table top grain mills and grinders to obtain maximal nutritional value and peace of mind. Among the various brands of grain mills on the market today, perhaps none deliver a more versatile and value-packed product than the Family Grain Mill.

The Family Grain Mill was first produced by the Messerschmidt company in Germany over 27 years ago; now, the mill utilizes state of the art materials like Lexan plastic and surgical steel burrs (Grain Mill). But why do people choose to grind their own wheat as opposed to simply buying whole wheat bread in stores? According to the FDA, breads and other products may label their food as a "whole grain food" as long as the food contains 51 percent or more whole grain ingredient(s) by weight (Health Claim Notification for Whole Grain Foods). Freshly ground grains, on the other hand, contain 100 percent of the grain and protects against heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer, prevents constipation, and offers a reliable food supply in the event of an emergency (Basey). The Family Grain Mill makes it easy to make fresh flour and provides at least two methods to grind “wheat, oat, corn, (not popcorn) rye, spelt, kamut, barley, rice, peas, most beans, coffee, flax seeds, sesame seeds, most dried herbs, dried jalapenos and other hot peppers and more” (Grain Mill).

First, the Family Grain Mill includes a hand base that attaches to a table or counter top and allows the operator to grind wheat by hand. The hand crank is metal and allows an operator to produce roughly two cups of flour in three to four minutes (one loaf of bread requires 4-6 cups of flour). The benefit of the hand base is that in the event of a man-made or natural disaster, or where electricity is not available, flour can still be milled. The crank is long enough that it can be operated by a small child, but does require manual effort and determination to mill enough flour for a batch of bread. The mill easily disassembles for cleaning and has an adjustment for very fine to coarse flour.

Second, the mill is easily motorized by attaching it to a popular mixer like a Kitchen Aid or Bosch mixer or by attaching it to the Family Grain Mill motor base. When motorized, the mill will produce over one cup per minute without overheating the flour- an important feature to retain as many nutrients as possible ("Family Grain Mill Demo"). However, even when motorized, the mill is not as fast as electric-only grinders, which can process upwards of two to three cups of grain per minute. Additionally, while it will attach to the smallest of the Kitchen Aid mixers, its motor will quickly burn up and is not recommended for use with the Family Grain Mill (Grain Mill).

Every grain mill uses some method for making flour- be it grinding, crushing, or beating. The Family Grain Mill utilizes “burrs”, a popular method for grinding the grain. In this process, two steel, stone, or composite plates, called “burrs” rotate against each other; the individual grains are fed between the two crushing or breaking the grain into flour. The Family Grain Mill's burrs are steel plates, which are grooved to aid in the feeding of the grain; the result is a finely “cut” flour as opposed to a “crushed” flour than stone or composite burrs produce- although the steel burs will eventually wear out sooner than stone or composites. The adjustment mechanism on the mill controls the distance between the plates and allows for varying degrees of coarseness. Most electric grinders utilize high-speed “impact” method, which slings the grain into an opposing grain and explodes the grain into flour- this method is rapid, but provides no means of coarseness control and is more limited on the types of grain they can process.

At around $140 shipped, the Family Grain Mill rests firmly in the low-to-middle price range of table top wheat grinders that most families can afford. While certainly not as aesthetic or durable as an all metal grain mill, its plastic parts help to keep the manufacturing and shipping costs low, while the steel burs provide the strength and durability where it is needed the most. The Family Grain Mill's lifetime warranty on defects and nearly three decades of milling history provides the peace of mind to those seeking to grind their own flour and will complement any family's kitchen appliances.

If  you enjoyed this article or found it useful in your decision to purchase a grain mil, please visit my webstore an purchase a mill from me!  www.internetprepper.com

Works Cited
Basey, Marleeta F. "Why WHOLE Wheat is WAY Better." Mother Earth News 207 (2004): 76-83. GreenFILE. EBSCO. Web. 14 May 2011.
"Family Grain Mill Demo." YouTube. Web. 14 May 2011. .
Grain Mill. Family Grain Mill System. Web. 14 May 2011. .
United States of America. Health Claim Notification for Whole Grain Foods. , 1999. Web. 14 May 2011. .

Saturday, May 7, 2011

photos from the retreat

Building a retaining wall.

Cut wood.

View from top of mountain

It's coming along.  Lots of work to do, but we will get there.  The driveway is finished, shale is covering all of it.  The cabin site is now level (enough).  The retaining wall is started (very tough work).  Still cutting wood from all the cleared trees.  I have about 2 cords cut and I've barely dented it.  Should have a shed build sometime this month.  Getting bids for dry-in for the big cabin.



This is a model of the cabin.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Response to a reader- How to get started preparing

I got a nice letter in the mail the other day asking for advice on how to get started preparing. This was my response.


Sorry it's taken me so long to reply to you. I've had a busy couple of days.

How to get started... First I highly recommend reading www.survivalblog.com everyday.

Jim Rawles runs the site and he is world-renowned for his writings on survival. I recommend that you read his novel "Patriots" and then get his book "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It"

While you're waiting for those books to arrive in the mail, read this page: http://www.survivalblog.com/newbies.html

In that article, he recommends making a "list of lists". I made one and have it available for download on my website here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AjwuvfnYqzE5dDFMdTZyU2J5ZTM5LWlGQjZLM29MblE&hl=en that should get you started on what you need to buy. It's spreadsheet- be sure to check the tabs at the bottom.

Another recommendation is to start now and make achievable goals. Get enough food storage for 1 week. Then 3 weeks. Then 3 months. Then 6 months... you get the idea. Get enough food to last as long as you think you need. I have 2 years worth and I'm still adding.

Start a vegetable garden, buy and get training with a firearm, learn non-21st century usable skills (First Aid, cooking, fire starting, husbandry, etc.)

Don't get overwhelmed. I know the feeling of needing to prepare and once I started, I felt so much better.

You will probably need to buy a number of things- but remember that preparedness is not about things, it's about skills- but you will likely need tools to exercise those skills.

I have a website where I sell a grain mill. www.year-supply.com You'll need one eventually and when you do, I'd appreciate it if you buy one from me.

My blog (if you start at the beginning) chronicles my preparations. I went from very little to a lot in about 2 years. I now have 2 years + of food storage, a decent sized garden, fruit trees, 10 acres of land, a 4x4 diesel truck, an assortment of guns, radios, skills (CPR and more), a diversified income, and a new network of friends. I sleep better at night knowing I can provide for my family better than I could 2 years ago. I don't say this to brag, but to let you know that you can do a lot in a short period of time.

Let me know if you need anymore help and how you're progressing. Keep in touch.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

A secret source for prime compost material

Today I called Tom Thumb, a local grocery store, and asked to speak with the produce manager. I related to them that I was interested in what they did with their old produce and if I could have some to put into my compost bin.

If you're place is like mine, there is no way you can fill your compost bin to the top with just the lawn clippings and garden refuse from your own family's consumption.

I have tried a few ways to add to my piles. My neighbor owns a landscaping company and he regularly donates bags of leaves to the pile that compliment my lawn clippings (every other cut) and my garden and table scraps. Oak and elm are excellent brown (carbon) material for compost bins.

Today after work, I stopped by the grocery store and they had a large box of lettuce waiting for me to pick up! I can stop by weekly and pick up their refuse. Just think of all those nutrients adding to my soil! Iceberg, mixed lettuce leaves and spinach were what I was given. I'm hoping to get other vegetables in the future.

Speaking of my compost, I just emptied out last year's bin and applied a thick topping to all my garden spots and my apple trees. The dirt was so dark and rich and teeming with worms, I just know my plants are going to love it. BTW, I use free pallets to make two bins- one for each year, and rotate them as it takes about a year to cook it down to dirt.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Hmmmm....

 

Doesn’t look much like a U.S. Air force C-130 to me.  Again excellent reporting by our new agencies.  This hat tip goes to “JSC” for the excellent observation.

My fence blew down in the last big storm that blew through Texas.  I can only imagine what the winds did to the fires. I wonder how you prepare for fire…  They were interview some couples on TV from Possum Kingdom who said their house had burned to the ground.  I hope they had insurance, but wow- talk about a setback.

 

 

 

Friday, April 8, 2011

Garden report


I have potatoes, lettuce, corn, green beans, peas, squash, cucumber, onions and peppers growing in my 72 sqft of garden space. I'm planting intensively this year with peas and beans surrounding each stalk of corn. The lettuce came up on its own (surprise!).


I staggered my planting my about 3 weeks with 2 of the beds, so that should extend my harvest time. These are seeds that I got from the link on the column. They are now 1 year old and have been kept in my fridge. I had about 20% not sprout. Not sure it this is average or not, but that's what I experienced. The first year, when they were fresh, they all sprouted. I still have plenty of seeds left and will use them again next year. We'll see how that goes.

What I did was, when I noticed they weren't sprouting, I just stuck another seed in the same spot about a week or so after the first planting and those are doing fine.

My apple trees (all three) got blossoms within a week of each other. I think there was enough overlap that they could pollinate each other, but they are still only 3 years old, so I don't know if I'll get apples this year or not. Texas is still due for another cold snap, but with how crazy the weather has been, I'm hoping that it's already come and gone. (2 weeks ago it got below freezing and my lettuce got frost bite on the tips- everything else seems fine though.)

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Family Grain Mill Demo



This is my first attempt at Youtube. I filled that 4 gallon bucket with wheat flour tonight. I just got that Bosch- so it's time to get busy making bread!  BTW, if you enjoyed this demo, or it helped you to decide to purchase a Family Grain Mill, please purchase one from me.  You won't find a better price on the internet Guaranteed! www.internetprepper.com or www.year-supply.com

Thanks

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Workin on the land

Here you can see the pad that was cut in for the cabin.  It will end up being about 2x's the size it is now.  Laterine and small ATV trailer in the background.

Here's the laterine my wife and I made a few weekends ago.  I picked up that ATV trailer for $80 and put a new deck on it ($35).  Works like a charm and I can load up lots of logs and rocks.

A start to my wood pile.

So, this weekend we checked out the work that Ron did cutting in a driveway and covering my culvert I bought.  He leveled a good area for the cabin, but we will ask him to enlarge it some more.  He also put 2 truck loads of shale on the driveway- need more.  I cut down a dozen or so trees, but didn't have a chance to stack them all.  We have soooo much work to do out there.  Lots of trees to clear.  Going to put up a largeish shed/barn that we will sleep in until the big cabin is done.  With no electricity, I'm planning to buy 4-5 golf cart batteries and run a small window A/C unit at night.  I also need to schedule the well man to put us in a well maybe next month or the one after.  My ATV has come in handy- I totally recommend one to anyone that has land.

My horseshoe shaped driveway.  (A must with a trailer)

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Media claims plane shot down- but actually shows photo of SA-6 SAM missile launcher

Look closely and you will see the tracks, the rear air vent, and rails that hold the missiles.

 

Really?  If you can’t tell the difference between a plane and a rocket launcher, you need a new job.

 

How about the folks over at FOX and everywhere else plastering this photo?  Idiots

 

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Land Ho!

Well, at long last we have purchased 10 acres of land in an undisclosed location west of the Mississippi.
Nearby water, plenty of game animals.  Lots of trees.  About 2 hrs from my house.  (close but not too close).  It doesn't cross any major freeways and it's away from major population centers.

We got about 1 acre cleared out so far and will start building a cabin soon on that cleared area.  So far, we've put in a latrine, a tire swing, and a zip line (you gotta have fun).  There's room for a pond on the lower part of the property too.

I plan to plant some apple and pecan trees very soon. There's lots of pine trees and many hardwoods .

The land is very remote, so I have to get a well put in and find a source of energy to pump it.  I'm seriously considering a wood-powered steam engine to power a generator (that will make enough energy to charge a set of batteries and run the AC.  http://www.greensteam.com/ .

 I've also started caching some supplies.  I'll be getting some of the food buckets from http://www.year-supply.com/ and put them into a sealed 55 gallon drum a burry it.  I also want to cache a mosin nagant and some sealed spam can of ammo up there.  That way if I have to bug out, there will already be stuff there.

The next building to go up will be a 10x10 shed/barn that we can sleep in at night and store some tool in.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Invalid Presidential Proclamation

Presidential Proclamation--Death of Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, the Last Surviving American Veteran of World War I
Death of Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles,
the Last Surviving American Veteran of World War I
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
     As a mark of respect for the memory of Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, the last surviving American veteran of World War I, and in remembrance of the generation of American veterans of World War I, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, that, on the day of his interment, the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on such day.  I further direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same period at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA

From what I have read, the president does not derive this authority from the Constitution (as he claims) or from the "Flag Code."   The Code only gives him authority to half-staff it for deaths principal figures of government.  Only Governors can declare half-staff for fallen members of the Armed Forces- and only then if they fall while on active duty.  Corp. Buckles passing does not qualify in either case.

Without disrespecting Corp. Buckles, where does this president get off claiming authority that simply isn't his? And if he's claiming this authority, what other authority is he claiming that simply isn't his?  What he does have authority to declare is a flag day, or a day of mourning or something like that.  Half-staffing the flag is reserved for very few and specific reasons.  So, while I think the passing of Corp.  Buckles deserves recognition, this is not the appropriate way to do it.

Title 4, Chapter 1 pertains to the flag; Title 18, Chapter 33, Section 700 regards criminal penalties for flag desecration; Title 36, Chapter 3 pertains to patriotic customs and observances. This is the pertinent part (bolding mine):
a.    The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, or the death of a member of the Armed Forces from any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff, and the same authority is provided to the Mayor of the District of Columbia with respect to present or former officials of the District of Columbia and members of the Armed Forces from the District of Columbia. The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress. The flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. As used in this subsection —
1.    the term "half-staff" means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff;
2.    the term "executive or military department" means any agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title 5, United States Code; and
3.    the term "Member of Congress" means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Free Survival Food!

To kick off my new online store, I'm giving away a 72 hour meal kit which retails for $69.35 when you include shipping.  My store sells it for $36.00 delivered! 

That's six pouches of Wise Foods' freeze-dried food- very similar to Mountain House's camping pouches.  I'm relying on word of mouth to get this started.

All you have to do are 3 things:

1) Go to http://www.year-supply.com/ and leave me a message in the Contact Us section about how much you'd like to win this drawing.
2) Respond to this post with why you think Wise Foods would be a good investment or why someone should buy from me (preferably after you check out the website).
3) Tell someone else! (links are provided at the bottom of the post to help you)

The drawing will be held in three weeks time to give everyone enough time to enter the drawing.  The winner will be announced on this blog and contacted by the e-mail provided in the Contact Us form on the website. This offer is good to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

Good Luck!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Calorie Crops - Sweet Potatoes

Why plant sweet potatoes?

The data below was taken from John Jeavon’s book “How To Grow More Vegetables.” The most efficient calorie crop is the potato. If you have many acres, why worry about space? Crops need watering, weeding, fertility, protection from predators, etc. Managing smaller spaces is easier than large ones.  A mixture of peanuts, beans, and sweet potatoes are the best calorie crops for this area.
kCal per lb.
lb. per 100 sq.ft.
 kCal per sq.ft.
 Wheat, Hard Red
1,497
4
59.9
Beans, Pinto
1,583
4
63.3
Sunflower
2,790
2.5
69.8
Peanuts
2,558
4
102
Potatoes, Irish
279
100
279
Potatoes, Sweet
375
82
307




It is very difficult to grow the Irish potato sustainably in Central Texas due to the need for the potato to get below 55 degrees F to germinate, and having to store the potato during the hot summer. The sweet potato is similar in caloric and space requirements, it grows during the hot season, and can be stored easily (underground) in our climate through the fall and winter.
While grains are good sources of calories, the growing and processing of these is much more difficult on a homestead sized scale.
Several older Texas (75+ years) recall growing sweet potatoes and storing them in hand dug root cellars lined with hay.
How much to plant? Below are some sample calculations for the area required to grow a substantial amount of calories.

Possible Yield 100sqft.
kCal per lb.
Protein Content (g)
kCal per 100sqft.
85
375 to 430
6.2-6.6
31,875 -36,550

The different yields above are for various levels of experience and soil quality. Since these soils are poor and our experience low, assume 85 lb/100sq.ft. and 375 kCal/lb.
Assume 45% of diet will come from sweet potatoes. Each person needs a minimum of 2,200 kCal per day.
2,200 kCal/day * 0.45 = 1,000 kCal per day per person

For a year:
365 days * 1,000 kCal / day = 365,000 kCal from sweet potatoes per person.
365,000 kCal per person
375 kCal/Lb. = 973 Lbs. of sweet potatoes per person for a half-years worth of calories.

With bio-intensive plant spacing, you need 248 plants per 100 sqft. bed (plant on 9 in. centers). Sweet potato starts can be easily grown from saved potatoes. A rough estimate is that you can get 10 starts per pound of saved potatoes (based on one years trial . may be adjusted after more research).

248 starts per 100 sqft.
10 starts per lb. = 24.8 lb. per 100 sqft. needs to be saved for starts
24.8 lb. is approximately 30% of the estimated yield of 85 lb. per 100 sqft.
You will need to save approximately 30% for getting starts for next year, so you need to grow (973 * 1.30) = 1,265 lbs per person for a year.

1,265 lbs. .
85 Lb. per 100 sqft. = 1,488 sqft. growing space per person.
The 1,488 sqft. is only the growing space, and you need room for paths which can be estimated to add 30% to the area.
So the total space needed is:
1,488 sqft.* 1.3 = 1,934 sqft. total space required for one person, 45% of caloric need met by sweet potatoes. It would be wise to increase the planted area by 30%-100% for contingencies.

20 people requires 38,688 of space. For reference, one acre is 43,560 sqft.

Notes from the garden:
In 2007 we grew several varieties of sweet potatoes, most of which got predated by gophers. A purple heirloom variety was noticeably untouched. In fact, we saw one large tuber that was bitten into, and left alone. The purple variety was saved and grown for starts in 2008. The Sumor variety of sweet potato is white, not very sweet, and considered a good substitute for an Irish potato. We have grown Sumors twice with no yield, and we are still working to learn why.
In 2008 we grew several varieties with lush foliage and no tuber growth. Below is some of the lessons learned during the last three growing seasons.

The vines of sweet potatoes should be pulled up regularly (every couple of weeks) to prevent the vines from rooting and putting energy into new roots and foliage. Having the vines climb vertically to minimize this rooting and to increase yields is potentially an excellent growing method that needs to be experimented with.

Sweet potato plants do best when stressed for water. Butch Tindell of the Center For Essential Education recommends the plants get to the point of foliage wilting in the afternoon. Heavy watering tends to encourage foliage growth versus tubers.
Sweet potatoes leaves are edible and a good green during the hot summer months. They are a good rabbit food and green during July and August when fresh green grass is in short supply. Growing the leaves as a crop in themselves should be considered.
Sweet potatoes should be grown in very poor, sandy soils. Too much fertility will yield lots of lush foliage, but little or no tubers.

Butch Tindell of the Center For Essential Education recommends using sweet potatoes
after a long rotation when the soil is the poorest. In his experience they plant 2 years in alfalfa, then corn, then wheat, then sorghum, then sweet potatoes . before starting with alfalfa again. In trials where the sweet potatoes were planted earlier in the rotation, the yields were noticeably less.

Reflecting on our records, we confirm that our best yields were in the poorest, and driest beds in the garden. And our yields went down as the fertility in our beds increased.

Concerns have been raised regarding using slips from your own saved sweet potatoes for propagation year after year. If your initial stock of slips comes from a good quality heirloom sweet potato source then there should be no problems propagating from your own plants year after year. If you start using commercial sweet potato stock such as the common orange, Beauregard variety, then problems in tuber size and disease begin after the fourth generation of propagation.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Food Prices?

Due to the overwhelming response, (and my desire to limit e-mail coorespondence) simply e-mail me and I’ll send you the secret non-advertised price for the Wise Foods stuff (that way you don’t have to spend time checking the prices everywhere else).  I can’t give huge discounts on the lower priced items (there’s not that much mark up to begin with), but the buckets I can get to you at a very good deal.  Again, I can’t advertize these super-low prices online.  (I used to think this was a marketing ploy to get people to call- but I had to sign a non-disclosure statement and promise not to advertize below a certain price.)

 

I don’t want to be using this blog to be advertising my stuff- I just want to pass along a good deal to other preppers when it comes around.  I’ll provide updates from time to time.  Please spread the word.

 

In other news,  solar flares, volcano erruptions, rioting, war, rumors of war, inflation, corruption, snow storms, famine, drought, and more top the list on Drudge.  Can you think of any more reasons to prepare?   And man!  Did you see that photo of Gaddafi?  That’s one scary looking dude.

 

 

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Wise Foods - at deeply discounted prices

If you haven't already, checkout http://www.wisefoodstorage.com/ and see their food storage options.  This is the same product that readymade is offering.  They also have 72 hour kits and all levels of dehydrated and freeze dried foods available.
 
I have recently become a dealer/distributer for them and can offer my readers a VERY deeply discounted price. 
 
I am in the process of setting up a website (go daddy sucks- long story), and will let you know once I launch it.
 
Until then, if you'd like to place an order, pick out what you want on their website and then send me an e-mail with the order.
 
I promise that my prices will be the best you can find anywhere- if you find it cheaper I'll beat it by another 10%- shipping included.
 
The way I see myself using their foods is in supplementing my wheat, beans, and rice.  They specialize in gourmet-type freeze dried stuff.  
REALLY tasty stuff- try a free sample from their website.  I would use their meals once or twice a week in the event of an emergency as a comfort food.  Imagine lasagna, chicken al-a king, or stroganoff easily prepared by just adding hot water!  What a mental difference that could make in a high-stress situation where you would normally be reduced to eating wheat berries.  I'm adding at least 10 buckets to supplement my current stocks.
 
Anyhow, until I get my e-commerce site up, I thought I would pass this offer along to my readers. 
 
For example, they have a 1 month supply - 2 servings of food per day for 4 adults or 2 adults and 4 children. Also equals a 4 month supply - 2 servings a day for 1 adult. (Two 5-gallon buckets full of food)  They list it for $450 plus $40 shipping.  Not a bad deal.  But my price to you would be even better (e-mail for prices so low, I legally can't advertise them)- just put "wise foods" in the Subject with what you are interested in and I'll send you lowest the price, shipping included. 
 
 
Thanks,
 

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The buck stops here? Virginia eyes switching off dollar

Posted in February 4th, 2011 by Don in World and Domestic News

WorldNetDaily

WASHINGTON – Virginia state Delegate Robert G. Marshall has introduced legislation to study whether the Commonwealth should make the preparations now to switch suddenly to an alternative currency in the event of an implosion of the Federal Reserve System and the destruction of the dollar.

House Joint Resolution 557 is another piece of a growing movement among state legislators who are concerned about the dollar’s demise. Ten states have considered similar bills, recommending a return to some form of a commodity-based currency, using either silver or gold.

Read more: The buck stops here? Virginia eyes switching off dollar http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=258069#ixzz1D03n1VHv
_______________________________________________________

Constitution:
Article 1.

...
Section. 8.
...
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
...
Section. 10.
No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.
_____________________________

I hope they are only planning to make gold and silver coins.  Paper money printed by the state would be un-constitutional as is our current dollar.  I would love to go to a coin-based currency.  Private companies (banks) could hold the coins and chrage us to use debit and credit cards (assuming there was a silver or gold dollar behind every digital one ) or the banks (private ones) could print their own paper money backed by gold or silver.  We could withdraw our gold or silver upon demand from the bank.  Commerce would still go on in a modern fashion- but the currency would actually mean something.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

George Washington

"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." -- George Washington

I'm taking a government class at a local community college.  The professor is a liberal (not suprizing) but he claims to be a proponet of the 2nd Amendment.  He went on to explain that everyone should have the right to have a gun to protect themselves from robbers- but that they don't need assault weapons or high capacity magazines.  I quickly raised my hand in protest.  I argued that the whole point of the 2nd Amendment was not to protect ourselves against robbers, but to protect ourselves against a tyranical government.  That's pretty hard to do with a revolver.