Pee Is The New Power Source

I picked this up over at MSNBC. If they can actually produce this on a large scale it would revolutionize our way of looking at power. Plus destroy the existing oil and power industries. A few cows, a couple of solar panels and the pee power converter and you would be completely energy independent.

Forget gas, batteries — pee is new power source
Scientists can create cheap hydrogen from urine for use in fuel cells

By Eric Bland

Urine-powered cars, homes and personal electronic devices could be available in six months with new technology developed by scientists from Ohio University.

Using a nickel-based electrode, the scientists can create large amounts of cheap hydrogen from urine that could be burned or used in fuel cells. "One cow can provide enough energy to supply hot water for 19 houses," said Gerardine Botte, a professor at Ohio University developing the technology. "Soldiers in the field could carry their own fuel."

Pee power is based on hydrogen, the most common element in the universe but one that has resisted efforts to produce, store, transport and use economically.

Storing pure hydrogen gas requires high pressure and low temperature. New nanomaterials with high surface areas can adsorb hydrogen, but have yet to be produced on a commercial scale.

Chemically binding hydrogen to other elements, like oxygen to create water, makes it easier to store and transport, but releasing the hydrogen when it's needed usually requires financially prohibitive amounts of electricity.

By attaching hydrogen to another element, nitrogen, Botte and her colleagues realized that they can store hydrogen without the exotic environmental conditions, and then release it with less electricity, 0.037 Volts instead of the 1.23 Volts needed for water.

One molecule of urea, a major component of urine, contains four atoms of hydrogen bonded to two atoms of nitrogen. Stick a special nickel electrode into a pool of urine, apply an electrical current, and hydrogen gas is released.

Botte's current prototype measures 3x3x1 inch and can produce up to 500 milliwatts of power. However, Botte and her colleagues are actively trying to commercialize several larger versions of the technology.

A fuel cell, urine-powered vehicle could theoretically travel 90 miles per gallon. A refrigerator-sized unit could produce one kilowatt of energy for about $5,000, although this price is a rough estimate, says Botte.

"The waste products from say a chicken farm could be used to produce the energy needed to run the farm," said John Stickney, a chemist and professor at the University of Georgia.

For livestock farmers who are required by law to pool their animals' waste, large scale prototypes could turn that urine into power within six months.

Smaller versions likely won't be available until after that, so the average consumer probably shouldn't start saving their pee just yet.

"It is not a solution for all our cars," said Stickney, "but it is the kind of process which will find many applications and will make for a greener world."
© 2009 Discovery Channel

To survive we must adapt...

Our survival as a species as well as many other species depends on us doing things differently and not relying on the broken models of waste and consumption that has driven America to the point of collapse. We need to start structuring our lives on those third world countries who will continue to exist when America is just a footnote in the history books.

Here is a response I got today about my various experiments in waste reclamation. I think that the post completely captures what is wrong with America today.

What is wrong with you? Are you not aware of the fact that A. septic systems exist? B. They are required? C. In most places, you can do it yourself? and D. After getting the perk test done, and permit for the septic system, and the system installed, you're problems are over?

I'm sure your neighbors really appreciate your kindness to the their wells in that area also. Being a "survivalist" means putting some thought behind each situation for the long-term. I'm talking about intelligent thought processes. True "survivalists think about the environment. Chump, you are in America, not some 3rd world country so all I'm saying is if you are going to put forth the effort to become a survivalist, you should put forth the effort to do it properly!

Actually I am thinking about the environment and survival in a finite system. All a septic system does is traps nutrient dense waste underground where it can never be used again if you compost this waste it can be recycled back into crop production this is especially helpful in arid areas such as mine. Nitrogen is a main component of fertilizer and of urine. Our waste should be recycled back into nature not locked away in an underground vault.

Plus if you have a septic system you will be using 3 to 5 gallons of water with each flush just to get rid of waste which is completely unacceptable. I am currently existing on about 2 gallons of water every day. There are deep wells out on the valley floor going dry as I write this. Once we have exhausted our finite supply of well water it's over folks. It will take millions of years to replenish the aquifers and frankly we will be gone by then.

Septic systems and your attitude towards them is what is wrong with America today. The reason septic systems are required is because not so long ago some plumbing contractor decided he could make a ton of money by convincing the state legislature to mandate septic systems at $3000 a pop. The state loved the idea because they get $500 for each inspection.

Composting toilets and urine recycling systems are the way of the future. Think about the tons of nutrient dense crap and nitrogen that are flushed out of a business skyscraper every day not to mention the billions of gallons of water wasted. The future will see this waste collected, composted and sold as fertilizer or topsoil to grow crops. Not to mention the fact that the composting process produces tremendous amounts of heat which could help offset heating cost in the winter reducing dependence on natural gas. Or we could go so far as to collect the methane from the composting process and use it to cool and heat our building. This American waste cannot continue.

Being a survivalist does not mean we take our sanitized/monetized lifestyle of city living and replicate in a small cabin. The old ways of consumption and waste have failed us and to survive we must adapt.

PortaPee

I do not pee in my composting toilet. The sawdust composting toilet is great...no smell and easy to maintain. If you add urine though it becomes a sloppy mess that requires twice the cover material reducing the number of times you can use the 5 gallon unit between trips to the compost pile.

So I took to peeing outside which is fine in the warmer months but really a drag in winter plus remember pee stinks. Wherever your pee spot is there will be a horrible smell. You can spread it around but eventually the area will become saturated with the stink.

I have a urinal/hose/hole in the ground contraption but still need to run the hose under the house and frankly since the 40 foot snake incident I haven't really had a desire to go crawling under the place...at least until it gets colder.

Basically the urinal attaches to a hose which runs under the house to a 6 foot deep by 1 foot round footing hole that I never used. The hole is filled with pea gravel and the urine leaches into the ground from there. If the stank gets bad I just dig another hole and move the hose. Might freeze in the winter but I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Anyway the picture above is a stopgap device to deal with pee. It is a five gallon water jug with a screw on top and a funnel in the top. The screw on top is very important. Simply pee in the funnel until the barrel is full. You then screw on the cap, take the jug away from the house then dump the thing. If you can't get out to dump the urine just leave the capped jug in a corner and put a backup under the funnel. You can even dump the urine on your compost pile adding needed moisture to the mix.

You may not be able to see it in the picture but there is a small plastic cup inverted over the hole in the bottom of the funnel. Again pee stinks and if the hole is not covered you will smell it. This portapee will hold me anywhere from 4 to 7 days depending on the beer consumption.

This device may not be of much help to the ladies but it still reduces the amount of urine in the compost toilet by half for a couple.

Debtors Revolt

Tea Parties will not work. Marches on Washington will not work.

A Debtors Revolt will work

Listen To Animal Warnings

The day before I killed that thirty foot rattler in the backyard I was actually warned that it was there but failed to listen.

I was standing in the kitchen making some rice when I heard this chipmunk chirping in distress. It is a very distinct sound and one I have heard many times as it is the same chirp they make when they fall in the hot tub and can’t get out. We have lost many chipmunks in the hot tub.

I could see the distressed animal it was in an old cedar tree about twenty five feet from the back door on the other side of the dog fence. The chipmunk was standing on a branch about seven feet off the ground looking straight down chirping with a vengeance. With every chirp the tail moves up and down.

There was quite a bit of sage and dead brush under the cedar so I couldn’t see what the chipmunk was noisily looking at. I walked out back to the fence and told the small critter to shut up maybe eight feet from the thing. It didn’t even look at me just kept right on chirping.

I then pitched a couple of rocks into the brush thinking it might be a stray cat and after nothing ran out told the animal to shut up again and went back inside. The chipmunk continued to bark at the invader for a couple hours then mysteriously stopped.

The next day I found out what that poor chipmunk was so scared of.

Cheap Solar Lantern

I am up and down several times a night dealing with the dogs and my own small bladder. There is nothing that irritates me more than stepping on a half eaten dog bone or worse kicking a dog in the middle of the night. I wanted a night light that would give plenty of illumination and not draw from the battery bank.

I picked up a bunch of cheap LED rechargeable garden lights at walmart for four dollars each. Then took a water jug, cut the top out and filled it about halfway up with dirt. Stick seven of the lights down into the dirt and poof you have a cheap rechargeable solar lantern.

A solid day worth of charging will give a few nights worth of light just remember to set it out in the sun every day or so. When I get up to make coffee I put the lanterns on the deck to charge for the day. One of Axel's chores is to monitor the charging process. He does the job well.

In the winter just set the buckets in a south facing window. One of the kitchen windows and the sun room are both south facing. You will get plenty of sunshine to keep the lights charged without worrying about moving the buckets outside during the day.

This lantern actually puts out enough light to read by. The handle in the water jug makes the lantern easy to move and you can break the lights apart and place them where needed. Unlike fancy store bought solar lanterns which will only work for six or so hours this lantern will stay lite for at least two full nights on one charge.

Newest Family Member

Princess Ruby Jean Cher Saint Clare

I have been wanting a bigger dog that I can take with me on hikes and that I don’t have to worry quite so much about. Axel and Conway are great dogs but frankly not the most practical animals ever breed. So a couple of weeks back I had the opportunity to adopt a little pit bull pup and after meeting the parents and owners decided to add little Ruby to our family.

Naming a dog is as important as picking the animal. I am very quirky about my dogs names and really enjoy the naming process. Most important thing is that the name is short and unique you don’t want your dogs getting confused by near sounding names like Ruby and Rex. So any way here is how I came up with the name for Ruby.

Princess - Because she is just a little princess

Ruby Jean - I picture myself standing on the front porch in my underwear holding a can of Pabst yelling "Ruby Jean get your ass in this house" or "Ruby Jean let go of that mans neck" or “Ruby Jean I raised you better than that”.

Cher - Well ok I just love Cher…don’t judge me

Saint Clare - Saint Clare is the patron saint of good weather and television both of which I like. As a matter of fact I was at my partner’s house a couple of weekends back watching TV and Ruby was sitting next to me on the floor completely focused on the box.

We didn’t have the usual break in time for a puppy. Both Axel and Conway were very shy when they were first brought home but not Ruby she dove in head first playing and rolling she was not reserved in any way.

The real funny thing was watching how the boys react. When I brought her home they loved it “yea a new toy” lots of playing and tired dogs. But then they quickly grew tired of her sharp teeth and razor like claws and simply jumped up on the back of the couch to avoid her…waiting for Ruby to leave. When they realized that she wasn’t going they started to teach her manners.

Axel , the oldest, would lay on the floor with a bone. Ruby would jump in and try to take the bone at which time Axel would growl at her or snap at her if she actually got her teeth on it. When she lay still beside him he would give her the bone. I was kind of impressed. Both dogs have worked on her socialization and appropriate puppy play. Axel is teaching Ruby how to nap in sun in the picture.

As the boys work with Ruby I am seriously considering rename her to Ruby Jean the Poop Machine.

Hindsight

If American workers would have done this 20 years ago this country would still have an industrial infrastructure and millions of manufacturing jobs. I really like the way they think.

Mob beats Chinese steel factory executive to death

Thousands of workers had gathered in northeastern rust belt city of Tonghua to protest the takeover of their company and threatened layoffs.

July 27, 2009

Chinese state media confirmed Monday that a steel factory executive was beaten to death after thousands of workers gathered to protest the takeover of their company.

Chen Guojun, an executive at Jianlong Steel Holding Co., died Friday after an angry mob in the northeastern rust belt city of Tonghua beat him and then blocked ambulances from reaching him, according to the China Daily.

The protesters worked at the state-owned Tonghua Iron and Steel Group, which was going to be sold to Chen's privately owned Jianlong Steel. Chen sparked the riot by announcing 30,000 workers would be laid off, the newspaper said.

They dispersed later only after they were assured by authorities the sale would not go through.

Wealth Confiscation and Cash

MSNBC ran an article Monday on the dangers of keeping cash. The story "Money hiders risk a wealth of woes" documents the risks involved in keeping cash stored at your home and not in banks. The story is an obvious banking industry propaganda piece planted to scare Americans into depositing their increasing and untraceable saving into lending institution where the usage and existence of those funds can be monitored by the government.

America is moving toward a policy of wealth confiscation to pay our massive dept owed to foreign countries. Soon the government will freeze American banking assets for confiscation issuing IOUs to the citizens that can be traded and used to purchase approved items such as house payments, taxes and "healthy" food. The American government issued IOUs will be "cashless" and eventually converted for pennies on the dollar into either the new North American currency or more likely a new global currency. Cash in any form will no longer exist, all transactions will be electronic and monitored. The banks will charge a heavy "convenience fee" on the usage of these IOUs guaranteeing massive profits and government compliance.

California's issuance of IOUs is being allowed and even touted not necessarily as a model but more to plant the seed of IOUs in the American conscience. We will soon start seeing stories about how great and easily traded the IOUs are in California. Remember California...or the United States for that matter...has no way to recover from this economic collapse without millions of good paying jobs being created on which taxes can be levied. There is no such thing as a jobless recovery and lost American jobs are not coming back!

Further proof of the wealth confiscation plot can be seen in the current fight between Switzerland and the United States over foreign tax shelter accounts. The United States wants Switzerland to report all monies held in private foreign accounts by American citizens to target tax dodgers. The Swiss claim that revealing information on private accounts violates centuries old privacy laws. They instead are moving all American bank accounts into "special banks" set up to comply with the United States governments requests for information.

Obviously this has nothing to do with taxes. Businessmen who utilize Swiss privacy laws are hiding money from business partners and family or because of lawsuits, not the United States government and the IRS. Clearly these businessmen can afford a good accountant who will take advantage of the existing tax laws. Moving the monies to a "special bank" allows for easier transfer and confiscation of wealth.

Once the financial networks switch over and accept only the government issued IOUs cash becomes functionally worthless everywhere accept in underground trade. For instance items that are deemed unhealthy under the new mandatory insurance/health laws such as booze, cigarettes and red meat will not be illegal but you can't purchase them with the IOUs. Home produced biofuels, ammunition and NON genetically modified produce (organic) will also be unattainable with the IOU system.

The new IOU based system will work much like the current electronic food stamp system. If an item is not approved you will not be able to purchase it. Barter and trade will flourish under this system but only as far as the American conscious will allow. In other words we are use to going to the store and buying what we need not carrying barter items to trade for booze. The old greenback will fill this void.

The government may not accept the old dollar but as longs as the people recognize its value it will still be used. Gold and silver might fill this roll but I truly don't see that happening to awkward and not enough people have the metals. So don't turn in all your cash it might be a needed commodity in the post dollar world.

A Woman Screams

I woke up Saturday night to a womans scream. It was around 2 in the morning and I was sound asleep with the dogs. A high pitched scream jolted us awake. Most of the windows were open and the evening was very warm. The scream appeared to come from the hill right outside the bedroom window.

I jumped out of bed thinking it was my neighbor but quickly decided it was a coyote...a high pitched coyote. The dogs stayed in bed growling which was strange. I grabbed the flashlight and went out on the front porch. I really like to listen to the coyotes...they all have slightly different voices. Since the neighbor now has chickens they have been coming fairly close to the houses.

Anyway as soon as I got out on the porch it screamed again this time from behind the cabin on the ridge. It wasn't a yelping but a single long high pitched scream. It gave me the chills. As I opened the door to go inside it gave out one more scream. I turned on some lights and made some noise and didn't hear the animal again. The dogs were still in the bed growling.

Sunday at my neighbors get together I was telling a friend about the "coyote" and its strange scream. He informed me that the scream was most likely a mountain lion and that I needed to be careful with the dogs. I have seen mountain lion tracks several times and once spotted a big cat walking down the neighbors driveway.

So I am going to take a few precautions like making sure the doors are bolted so they can't be pushed open and that the lower windows are closed up when I am not here. Plus when I walk the dogs I always carry the bear mace with me...very effective that bear mace.

Night noises are really a strange thing. Living in the city I could have gunshots right outside the house and it wouldn't bother me in the least. For that matter a woman screaming would only get a mild reaction from me. I would roll over and go right back to sleep. When you remove the background noise of society a wonderful eerie stillness is left. Every noise in that stillness is amplified and although 99% of the sounds are benign your filter still needs to adjust to the newness of the experience.

Don't Mace The Mice

Let me say that mice are not cute little critters, they are dirty destructive rodents that should be eliminated. At first I thought of them as furry little jokers and would simply remove them outside with a shovel but not kill them. Now I smack them with that same shovel and fling their dirty little bodies out on the road for the coyotes to eat.

What changed my perception? Well they eat everything and crap everywhere. The boys food bowl is about 3 inches deep by 8 inches round. I would fill it full and they eat what they want but the bowl started being empty every morning. Those awful mice where carrying off the entire bowl worth of food every night storing it under the cabinets. The dogs chew bones and several stuffed animals that frankly were way to big to get under the cabinets where also stored away. Magic mice perhaps.

The dogs like chasing them and Conway patrols every night starting around sundown. He darts from spot to spot cornering them when he finds them. A quick bark alerts Axel who jumps in to help, Axel is more of a supervisor leaving the hard work to Conway. I grab the shovel and pull the dogs back. The mouse is usually cowering under the sofa or behind the trashcan. A quick smack dispatches them. We are slowly reducing their numbers to a more manageable amount.

Traps didn't work they just took the food leaving the trap unsprung. Those little tent sticky traps were apparently a challenge...they chewed a hole through the side and removed the food. Can't use poisons with the dogs but did try a unique approach one evening.

I was getting tired of hearing them scurrying about so arrogantly. I thought that if I could get them out of their little nest I could smack them with the shovel killing off several at once. So I took my bear mace and planned to spray just a tiny squirt under the cabinets making the evil rodents run out where I could quickly dispatch them.

THIS WAS A VERY BAD PLAN

Needless to say the mice didn't scurry but I filled the house with bear mace causing the dogs and I to scurry. Bear mace works by the way and doesn't come off. I was dipping myself and the dogs in the tub out back which only makes it worse. Apparently you have to use milk to neutralize the oil based spray...ironically it was the mice eating into my only box of powered milk the night before that started me on this very bad path. I took the brunt of the spray the dogs only picking up a small amount...the dipping in the tub pissed them off much more than the spray.

So I have decided that as long as the mice keep their numbers in check through common sense family planning and as long as the boys enjoy chasing them I will live with the mice. Oh they also have to stay out of the bed...that's a deal breaker.

This Aint No Stinkin Recovery

According to an article on MSNBC the "green shoots" of recovery are showing themselves and the economic free fall is bottoming out. As we all know this is pure propaganda. We are no where near the bottom and will never see the recovery...the days of American economic dominance are over.

"Despite persistent layoffs, the economy seems to be faring better than it was at the start of the year.

The Labor Department said Thursday that new jobless claims jumped unexpectedly last week. And the number of people continuing to receive unemployment aid rose more than expected.

The figures indicate that jobs remain scarce even as the economy shows some signs of recovering from the longest recession since World War II."

We are still losing hundreds of thousands of jobs each month. Recently media has pointed to the slowing in unemployment rolls as an indicator that the rate of decline is slowing. This really only shows that the people are running out of their six month supply of unemployment benefits and dropping off the back end of the meter.

The American economy must grow at a rate of 125,000 jobs every month to keep up with the young workers entering the job market. We are still losing in excess of 300,000 jobs monthly. These workers are the only people who can bring us out of this great recession. Our economy is built on people buying stuff and if your job is in jeopardy you simply won’t be spending money. You save it if you still have a job.

"The nation’s unemployment rate hit a quarter-century peak of 9.4 percent last month when employers eliminated 345,000 jobs. Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank, forecasts that employers will have cut a net total of 325,000 jobs this month and the unemployment rate will rise to 9.6 percent. The June employment report will be released July 2."

In other words America is down an additional 920,000 plus jobs for May and June. Almost 1 million jobs cut in the past two months. Add service sector jobs that support those Americans and you are probably looking at 1.2 million. This is not a recovery in any way.

These jobs are gone forever and won’t be coming back. Jobs growth is the only true meter of economic recovery that matters. Don't believe the propaganda, plan accordingly you need to be able to feed and protect your family for at least three years.

The Bed Is Bouncing

On a few occasions I have been awoken in the early morning hours by a low noise that can best be described as a diesel truck idling outside the house the noise has been accompanied by a gentle pulsing that you can actually feel in the bed and even standing in the middle of the house. I have heard this noise probably five times usually around three in the morning. The dogs can also hear the noise and twice they woke me with their growling.

Last night about one in the morning I woke up to the bed pulsing and I heard the low hum of the big truck the dogs were both awake and growling. I got up and went out on the front porch and could still hear and feel the phenomenon. It was a calm clear night and the noise seemed to come from everywhere. I pulled on my boots, grabbed a flashlight and went up on the ridge to see if maybe there was a truck idling on the other side of the hill. Found nothing but the coyotes were going crazy yelping. Could still hear and feel the rhythmic pulse.

I am currently using the backup inverter and I shut if off when I go to bed so there is nothing powered in the house that can vibrate. It is not a helicopter or C130 cargo plane. Both of these frequently fly over very low transporting between Los Alamos and Colorado Springs usually at night. They also wake me up. I have heard it on windy nights but last night it was calm.

As best as I can tell this is the Taos Hum which is a world wide phenomenon that manifests itself as a low throbbing noise in very quiet parts of the world. I have talked with a few neighbors they and their animals also experience the “hum” usually around three in the morning.

It’s not really annoying just kind of weird.

Introvert vs Extrovert

I have always been surrounded by people until recently. The one thing I have always craved was solitude…just wanted to be alone.

Now there are two basic types of personalities in this world. The introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people and the extrovert who is energized by being around other people and tends to fade without the human interaction.

One of the things I have noticed living down here is that if I go more than a few days without seeing anyone I quickly drop into a funk and have a hard time focusing or really getting anything done. But if I run to town for a cup of coffee in the morning then the rest of the day turns out real productive even enjoyable.

Online interaction helps but still does not give me the fix I get from being around people even for a few minutes. I don’t even need to talk with the people just being around them works. So, am I really a closet extrovert or is it simply habit developed over a lifetime of city living. I still crave the solitude and love it but apparently need that human interaction.

I bring this up because understanding your personality requirements before you jump headlong into a life removed from society will help you better prepare. If you truly are an extrovert then relocating to a farm forty miles from the nearest neighbor might not be the best move for you. But the true introvert would thrive in that environment.

If you as an introvert pick up and move the family to the wilderness and your partner is an extrovert who must have human interaction the marriage will not last through the winter. Even moving your family out of the city for protection can be a bad move if one of you cannot mentally thrive without that interaction. You can still make the move but you need to plan for the personality needs of everyone in your party.

Your neighbors are also important is this discussion. Can you just drop by and visit…maybe have them over for a beer or are they hardcore survivalists locked within a fenced compound.

A big standard for my move out of the consumer society was not to simply survive but to thrive. It is not enough to be able feed, cloth and shelter yourself. You must mentally thrive or you will fail.

The Right Medicine

Most people embarking on this life path plan fairly well. They stock a variety of food to hold them for several years. Acquire the proper firearms and put back plenty of ammunition. Even gather a variety of heritage seeds to start down their path to a relatively self sustainable lifestyle. We tend to gather the supplies that are easy and fun but occasionally neglect the truly critical.

I picked up two large first aid kits in my preparing to leave the greater society behind. My assumption was that these kits would include everything I need, they were easy to transport and store plus a cost effective all in one purchase. I have been very wrong on this account. The kits are convenient but tend to have lots of little stuff like small band aids and tiny aspirin neglecting the larger more critical items. Here are a few examples.

For instance when I dropped the drill and gouged my stomach it left a relatively deep three inch cut on my fat belly. I went to the first aid kit dug through the multitude of small band aids found some gauze and tape. First off gauze and tape is very awkward and inconvenient especially when you are hurt and cussing. Secondly gauze tends to stick into the cut. Thirdly you run out, the big kits are stocked well with the cheapest band aids and aspirin available but anything more involved is kept in low numbers. I had to go buy some large easy band aids and antibacterial cream.

My diet has consisted mainly of rice, beans, oats some bread with other meat products cut in for flavor and protein. Mostly canned fish products such as mackerel or tuna occasionally some spam but not that often. Easy to prepare and stores forever.

So last night if you read my twitter posts you know I had a treat of Treet. Really tasty and I needed the infusion of fatty meat. Well my body had gotten used to the usual stores so this treat messed up my digestive tract something awful. I had horrible heartburn and even worse diarrhea.

For heartburn I tend to mix up a half teaspoon of baking soda in water and it kills the acid real quick. Much much cheaper than Pepcid plus it has many uses. Unfortunately one of the side effects of the baking soda antacid is a loosening of the stool from the sodium. So this wouldn't work. In the past I would just swig a gulp of Peptobismol but don't have any handy. I just bared it out and was fine the next morning.

This will happen to you if you change your diet dramatically when you move. The body gets used to particular foods and optimizes for their digestion. The introduction of something new is ok but expect a kick from the system. This is particularly true moving from the typical American high fat diet to a denser high fiber diet.

Mosquitoes are bad here this year some years they don't bother me at all but this year has been really wet and they are think. In the past I would just cover myself in a layer of dust and they wouldn't bother me, free and works great, but if the ground is wet or your showers are limited to one or twice a week this is not a good option. So a several year supply of mosquito repellent is critical. Put screens on your windows.

Make sure your medical supplies contain plenty of items to combat the gastric distresses especially if your diet is changing. I really should have heavily stocked up on Pepcid, Peptobismol and some anti gas products. Large easy to replace bandages are critical as well as antibacterial cream and really good tweezers if you are building. If you have algeries put back plenty of generic Benadryl capsules, this works on dogs also if they get snake bit or stung by something.

Plan out in detail your medical supplies get a good stock of everything you will need. This is boring but of critical importance. Ideally you will learn the natural remedies for the more common ills that overtake you but until then stock up. You can always trade out these items as you become more established.

You also need to spend sometime detailing a medical emergency plan. What if you break your leg, what about a really bad tooth ache or god forbid a heart attack. What do you do when calling 911 is not an option.

Nuke Option

After much consideration and study I have decided that our health insurance reform will look like the following. Every American will be mandated to purchase health insurance from a for-profit health insurance agency. The bill will resemble the criminal mandatory auto insurance that is forced on most people in this country. Basically if you don’t buy it you go to jail, have your wages garnished and be flogged in the public square…with no paid hospital visit afterwards.

The American health care industry is a massive fraud that adds 30% overhead to all medical care bills. The American health insurance industry makes money by denying claims after you have purchased the policy or simply dropping you if you develop a sever (expensive) illness. This is a corrupt system that needs to be eliminated.

Even if you don’t want single payer health insurance plan we can all agree that mandatory participation in a failed system is obscene.

I will not participate in this criminal raping of the American people and will go to jail and get free health care before I allow this massive “tax” to be levied against me.

The corrupt senate, who is owned by the insurance and banking industries, released their health insurance overhaul today…the same day that the 106 billion dollar emergency war funding bill was sent to the President.

Note, that 106 billions dollars would buy 22 million Americans a 4800 dollar health insurance policy for the year.

I say cut the defense budget by 90%, close all our overseas bases and scuttle our navy. That saves 464 billion dollars that could easily insure 88 million Americans with that 4800 dollar policy. Now if you paid half or $200 dollars a month then the number covered by this plan jumps to 176 million Americans.

But what will we do for Defense you ask. Well we adopt a little policy call “If you fuck with us we will nuke you”. Oh that is what the 10% of the defense budget is for…maintain our nuclear arsenal.

Here are some of the details of the emergency war funding bill. These details will piss you off.

US lawmakers late Thursday sent President Barack Obama a 106-billion-dollar emergency bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, fight swine flu, aid Pakistan and boost IMF loans to poor nations.

Among other budget items, the measure provides 79.9 billion dollars for Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as 7.7 billion dollars to combat the A(H1N1) flu virus.

The bill also includes eight billion dollars for the International Monetary Fund and a 100-billion-dollar US line of credit for the IMF to help developing countries combat the impact of the global recession.

And it comprises 400 million dollars to help build up the Pakistani security forces' ability to wage counterinsurgency warfare at a time when US lawmakers worry about the nuclear-armed ally's stability.

The measure includes one billion dollars to foster economic development and democratic governance in Afghanistan and 433 million for US diplomatic operations and facilities there.

For Pakistan, the bill includes 707 million dollars for boosting agriculture and food security, assist displaced residents, boost democratic governance, and improve education.

Another 900 million dollars would go to building a new secure US embassy and consulates in Pakistan, and 700 million more dollars for counterinsurgency funding starting September 30.

For Iraq, the bill includes 472 million dollars to continue stabilization programs, and strengthen governance and rule of law; and 486 million for diplomatic operations.

The measure includes 660 million dollars in economic, humanitarian and security assistance for the West Bank and Gaza; 300 million dollars for Jordan, 310 million for Egypt, and 69 million dollars for Lebanon.

It includes 555 million dollars of Obama's 2.775 billion dollar request for security aid to Israel.

The bill provides one billion dollars for the so-called "cash for clunkers" program to stimulate the struggling auto industry, paying car buyers cash if they trade in their old gas-guzzling cars for newer more fuel-efficient models.

Bear Ridge Update

I have been living full time at Bear Ridge for almost three months. The experience has been close to what I expected. The budget is relatively intact, the house is holding up and summer project are moving forward. I was taking a long break from the internet while I settled in; I needed that separation from my old life to move forward with the new.

I do not consider myself a hardcore survivalist. I am a sustainist; I seek a sustainable existence removed from the trappings of consumer society. I do not want to wall myself off in a bunker, I enjoy my neighbors and actually get pleasure working with them and exchanging ideas. Frankly is it the only way to move forward as a person and as a society.

Here are some of the issues and items I have come across in the past few months.

Injuries are dangerous – Be very careful you are on your own. I had been here for about a month and was working in the sun room. Standing on a ladder drilling holes above my head I fell off the step and dropped the drill. The bit spun into my stomach taking a 3 inch long by ¼ inch wide strip out of my belly. It didn’t cut it but dug out a channel. Anyway this was simply the first of many cuts and punctures I have experienced since living here. Understand you body and be able to deal with these issues.

Plan for trash – There are many homestead sites where you can either burn or bury trash but that is not possible here. The plan was to take the trash away one truckload at a time to the local dump but as the pile grew this became less workable. I finally broke down and rented a 30 cubic yard dumpster. I very nearly filled it with construction refuse, brush and plain trash. No way could I have hauled off all the refuse. Plan your trash removal strategy before hand.

Boredom kills - This has been a big problem. You will be bored. Videos, books and online chats all help deal with the boor monster. I actually took a part time job because of boredom. I now work a couple of days each week for twenty hours. This money is stuck in the well fund. Greatly helps break up the week.

Wood and Propane - I am using about ¾ of a cord or wood each month and the house is staying very very warm. I am using about 80 pounds of propane each month, it is way too much. I only heat with gas when waiting for wood stove to warm up. The water heater is not really efficient; it is an on demand, but still uses a lot of gas. I am now changing that up heating water with sun and on wood stove then using a bucket sprinkler for showering.

Mice are fun – I hate the mice but the boys love them. They spend hours every evening chasing and cornering the mice who have taken up house here in the cabin. The boys love it plus I don’t have to use poisons or mouse traps to catch the beasts.

Shit Freezes – Composting buckets freeze if they are not quickly added to the compost pile. This is really a pain if you only have a few buckets to rotate through the bathroom.

Pee Stinks – I usually will pee off the front porch. If you pee in the same spot that spot quickly becomes stinky. Beware!!!

I will try to post a couple of times every week but you should check me out on twitter where I kick out quick simple thoughts and observations daily.

http://www.twitter.com/BigBearCO

Always remember that the government still possesses a massive surveillance mechanism whose sights are being set on the counter culture survivalist movement.

Storing Your Buckets

After cleaning out both my storage units I realized that one critical item was missing from my house here in the valley. I have no closets! Not only do I not have any closets I have no storage space other than the kitchen cabinets. Right now the 30 plus buckets of food and miscellaneous storage totes are divided between the bathroom and sunroom. Here is what I am doing to permanently stow these items.

Your average 5 gallon bucket is about 15 inches tall and 12 inches across.

I built a 16 inch platform for my bed. With my mattress I sleep roughly 28 inches off the floor. I am fine with this but had to build some steps for the dogs. This created a 5 by 6 foot space capable of holding 30 buckets. The under bed storage contains mostly totes right now.

The dogs love lying on footstools pushed against the windows. They sit there all day guarding the house. I am planning a 3 by 5 foot window seat covered with an old piece of foam rubber I picked up by a dumpster. I used to have a couple of old futon mattresses in front of the windows but they were huge and afforded no storage. The new window seat should be able to store 15 buckets and offers additional seating when necessary.

I keep 4 buckets under the coffee table. This could have been sized to hold many more but the rugs are shaken outside for cleaning so you don’t really want to move 15 buckets each week. Four buckets are also used as end tables.

Eventually most of the buckets will be placed in a root cellar but I won’t be building that until this summer.

If you are planning a very small house do not overlook the storage. If you are stockpiling several years worth of food the storage space is essential.

Shared Resources

While planning my spring garden several problems with logistics and layout were brought to light. Remember my house sits on the north side of a ridge and only about one of the five acres are available for planting. A large area would need clearing and raised beds built. Additionally there is no well and deer in the area tend to decimate gardens.

I spoke with my neighbor about these issues and she enthusiastically suggested I plant the garden in the area surrounding her small wind break trees. This “L” shaped area is enclosed with an eight foot deer fence and covers roughly 4000 square foot. It has adequate water, unobstructed sun and is easily accessed. Raised beds will be built and placed around the perimeter. Plus I can see the garden area from my recliner for easy monitoring.

My neighbor works so tending a large garden is difficult. On the other hand my job is basically tending a large garden. She provides the land, water and security. I provide the seeds, labor and canning. We share the produce.

As we move forward in the Great Decline people need to seek out these types of resource sharing arrangements. City dwellers living in apartments might have relatives or friends who have space for gardens but lack the time to maintain the plants. Many people have large backyards but no time for gardening, try running a CraigsList ad offering your land. Everyone benefits.

Tractor

I picked up an older model 20 house power garden tractor on ebay a couple of weeks back. It’s a four speed that has the throttle on the dash, I prefer this over automatics. The tractor pulls great and the first gear is a “granny” gear which allows me to pull some decent loads up the ridge. Here are some of the uses I have planned.

Living on the north slope of the ridge creates a problem with snow pack. Even though we have been getting relatively warm temperatures the snow remains somewhat shaded and refuses to melt. With a small blade attached to the front of the tractor and some chains on the rear tires the driveway should be kept clear with little trouble.

The hot dry summers leaves the house surrounded with dry, oily sage brush that burns like paper. Part of my fire mitigation plan is to remove as much of the dead brush as possible. Clearing brush by hand is a hard and unpleasant job. With the tractor and blade it should take a fraction of the time to remove the dead brush and deposit it in the runoff ditch for erosion control.

The new garden will need some rich top soil mixed in with it. A truck delivers the soil to the roadside and I carry it in a wheel barrow up to the garden beds. With a small trailer attached to the tractor I save time and the sore back muscles.

That same trailer can be used to haul firewood from the wood pile to the house. One trip on the tractor equals ten trips for me up the icy path. I hate falling down when my arms are full of wood.

Plus you never know when you might need to pull a float in a parade.