Collapsing into Political Chaos

The Disintegration of Belief in America’s Politicians

Comments are not necessary, but a few words describing the mayhem will follow the videos:

Healthcare, wars, taxes, stimulus, government encroachment, resentment and 24 hour news coverage are feeding a fire that won’t be put out easily.  

The USA is in a precarious position: rebellion is afoot.  The reaction of the government in the coming days will determine if the rebellion is merely political, or if it becomes open and armed rebellion. Dangerous days are ahead! Personal survival is of utmost importance…

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‘Peak Oil?–’ What Took You So Long?!?

Sometimes you have to wonder.

Today The Independent published an article entitled “Warning: Oil supplies are running out fast.”

What I’m wondering  is this: Is this article an old re-tread on a slow news day, or did this savvy reporter JUST find out about the idea that the world’s most abudant (read: cheap) energy supply is drying up? 

It seems hard to believe that this is a recycled story.  There are so many other important news items to be discussed each day. 

No, I don’t mean the color of Britney’s underwear.  Nor do I mean Jessica’s weight-gain-loss yo-yo.  I realize that those headlines are of the utmost importance, but other things are happening in the world.

I’m talking about the impact of Israeli-Palestinean relations, the Uighur uprising in China, or even such boring topics as the Russia-China-Iran alliance.

But Peak Oil? 

Mr. Connor lays out the sky is falling drama in this opener: “The world is heading for a catastrophic energy crunch that could cripple a global economic recovery because most of the major oil fields in the world have passed their peak production, a leading energy economist has warned.”

Right.  I agree completely.  Finite resources + mass consumption = depletion. 

The problem with the article isn’t the gloom and doom.  It is the feelgood solution of “[w]hat we need to do is accelerate the mobilisation of renewables, energy efficiency and alternative transport.”

I’ve got news for you.  It’s too late for that.  That was the solution had we begun preparing in 1992.  It is now 2009.  Things aren’t so good right now.

It is now time (possibly past time) to begin personal preparations in earnest.  Forget about depending on your government (Katrina victims have a great story to tell in that regard!)

Your life and the lives of your family members are at stake.  I’m sure that you’d like me to paint some rosy la-la picture, but the immediate and longterm future are bleak.

So get off of your rear-end and start preparing.

Survival resources can be found on this site by clicking on the FREE Emergency Downloads tab at the top.

So, Steve Connor, I do appreciate your cutting edge journalism on this subject.  Alright, I apologize for the sarcasm.  It is likely that the average citizen truly doesn’t know the extent to which we are emperiled, and your article may actually enlighten a few of those that live under a rock.

To find truly cutting edge Peak Oil information, visit LifeAfterTheOilCrash.net.  Of course the irony is that Matt probably has this article posted in the ‘Breaking News’ section.

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A Few Fall Survival Gardening Tips  

by John Wesley Smith

Late July and early August is the time to start planning for fall gardening. You may be in the harvesting and preserving mode, but you can keep on gardening and add to your food supply with new crops of several vegetables. You don’t have to limit yourself to a spring crop of lettuce or carrots.

Not only does gardening provide you with food for survival, it teaches you valuable lessons that help develop a survival attitude. A gardener should always be analyzing, evaluating and looking ahead. As a gardener, you do this all the time without giving it a second thought. How are those beans doing in that location? Why are the tomato leaves turning yellow? What are organic solutions for insect problems? You’re asking questions, seeking answers, and applying those answers.

How does this apply to fall gardening? The first step to take is to evaluate how the season has gone for you. What succeeded? What failed? How can you make better use of available space? Should you try different varieties? What can you do differently next season or for the remainder of this season?

Because climate is so diverse throughout the country, I can only give general tips and offer more questions than answers here. Check with your local university extension service for growing guides for your area. The experts in your local area know about frost dates and weather patterns you’ll experience. They can make recommendations as to the best vegetable varieties for you. They will also be familiar with what problems you might anticipate from insects and diseases. Realize their solutions to these problems conform to conventional gardening methods, and you may need to look elsewhere for organic or natural solutions.

A first fall frost date is very important to know. For example, if you want to plant something that takes 55-60 days to grow, do you have 55-60 days left before a killing frost? Can you give the plants protection to get them past that first frost? Have mulch, plastic or floating row cover on hand. Do you have a cold frame or greenhouse? If you’re container gardening, you have the advantage of being able to bring containers into a garage or greenhouse if frost threatens.

Try growing plants that like colder weather, such as kale, cauliflower or broccoli. Try a crop of lettuce, especially if hot weather in spring causes it to bolt too soon. Be sure to keep seeds and young plants well watered and fertilized, just as you would for a spring planting. Use mulch to keep soil cooler and more moist if it’s too hot when you plant.

Whether you plant transplants or seedlings depends on how much cold the crop can tolerate and the time left before frost. Vegetables that tolerate frost include beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collards, garlic, kale, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, spinach and turnips. Vegetables that don’t tolerate frost include beans, cantaloupes, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, okra, peas, peppers, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes and watermelons.

One important fall gardening task sounds merciless, but it’s necessary. Pull up old plants that are no longer producing well, such as tomato plants that have passed their prime or are diseased. Avoid putting diseased and insect ridden plants in your compost. Ask yourself what you can put in the space left behind by the uprooted plants. Maybe you want to start adding soil amendments like organic matter there and not bother with planting anything in that spot.

Since pumpkins and several squashes aren’t ready to harvest until fall, make sure you keep everything that’s still in your garden well watered. Of course, anything you plant, whether transplants or seeds, needs watering as well. Don’t count on the weatherman’s predictions for rain.

When weather gets colder, listen for frost and freeze advisories and warnings. Before a hard freeze, root crops such as carrots and radishes should be harvested or mulched. Harvesting of mulched root crops can often be extended will into the winter. If your winter is mild, you may be able to continue harvesting until spring.

Plan ahead. Consider what plants will make it through winter where you live. For example, I plant yellow potato multiplier onions in early September, which gives them a chance to become well established so they’ll get through winter and produce next season. If you enjoy perennials, are there shrubs or bulbs you can plant before long? What can you buy now for planting next spring?

Fall doesn’t have to mean the end of your survival gardening efforts. It simply means that as the seasons change, so does what you grow and how you garden. With survival gardening, you need to grow all the food you possibly can.

About the Author

Explore this and other topics related to survival at http://www.destinysurvival.com where John Wesley Smith is author and editor.

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The book uses a helpful acronym: S-U-R-V-I-V-A-L.

S: Size up the situation

U: Undue haste makes waste

R: Remember where you are

V: Vanquish fear and panic

I: Improvise

V: Value living

A: Act like the natives

L: Learn basic skills

Every survival tip offered on thesurvivalnut.com fits one of these eight categories.

If you can memorize this basic mnemonic device, you’ll be able to conquer the world!

Good luck and godspeed!

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Raising City Chickens–Urban Survivalism!

 The Kansas City Star has a great article today about raising poultry in suburban and urban environments:   Kansas City Star

The perspective of us little survival nuts is this:  Do whatever it takes to feed your family! Grow a garden, raise animals, hunt, fish, gather wild edibles–to survive one more day, a person needs to be adaptable, resourceful and willing to think outside of his or her experience.   

As we quoted on a different page, “The key to survival is mental toughness. The difference between surviving and death is the will to live and a desire to push on.”  –Narrator, Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment

Many municipalities have an incorrect view of poultry and livestock.  The officials often think that ‘farm’ animals have no place in a suburban or urban environment.  What they haven’t realized is that chickens are in the same family as parrots, parakeets, and other birds.  The image of a chicken is that it is a dirty, smelly, and unsanitary creature.

 Chickens come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  They can be as large as a small turkey, and as small as a pigeon.  Chickens also come in a variety of colors and temperments.  Some smaller ‘bantam’ chickens look more like a dove than a chicken.  Chickens are not particularly dirty–at least no dirtier than any other type of bird.  If chickens or their nesting facilities are dirty, don’t blame the birds, blame the owner!

So, if fresh, clean, known-source meat and eggs is what you are after, by all means, raise some Backyard Poultry!

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