Welcome

I would like to welcome two new followers, Kathleen and Tea4too0 , thanks. As always I try and respond to all comments and questions.
On another note, Stephen has his computer back and we may hear from him via his prison cell as he is up to it. Thanks to all who have voiced their prayers and support over the last few days, I want to get back to blogging soon, I am not complaining but things have been hectic to say the least.

Which reminds me, Stephen needs to get his sorry butt out to vote.

Random Updates, Stephen, MIL

I would like to start by welcoming 3 new followers, Sherry over at russ stick acres it is an interesting blog about their adventures on 40 acres. Also Hobo at hillbilly hobo's he has a verity of information and is interesting as does David at musings over a pint
Please be sure to stop over and check out their blogs.

I talked to Stephen  this morning, he is about the same, still undergoing torture treatment under the guise of wound care. He did say he got his first real cup of coffee this morning. He said we may have to round up a rescue party to break him out soon. Keep him in your prayers.

Some of you have been following about my  Mother in Law who was assaulted Halloween 2011. She had surgery last week to find out what was causing her stomach problems, they found out she has advanced ovarian cancer and there is really nothing they can do, she is still in critical care, in a lot of pain.  You may know her daughter (my first wife) died from ovarian cancer. Another 'kick in the teeth' to this situation is my first wife has a twin who is in the final stage of ovarian cancer as well and is in Hospice care right now, this is weighing heavy on my MIL as well. She has lost one daughter, another is in Hospice care and she herself is dealing with cancer. Sometimes I wonder how much suffering one person can stand.
In critical care visitation is very limited. Please say a prayer for her comfort.
I am her next of kin here local so I am doing all I can.

Trouble in Blogville, Stephen. (update) 4

I just talked with Stephen and passed along all the best wishes and such. He told me to be sure and say thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. He said it may be a little while till he can post, he has internet on his phone but the service is bad. The doctors seem encouraged that they have the infection under control but it is still unclear if he will need further surgery.  He is sick of hospital already, I told him I could smuggle him a cheese burger or anything else he needed., (he knows I am serious) I told him I am amazed how cooks can go to school and learn how to ruin perfectly good food.
Anyway, thanks again from Stephen, I will keep you posted.

Trouble in Blogville, Stephen. (update)3

I did get to see Stephen for a short while, He is kinda 'quarantined' I had to put on a gown and gloves to go in, I think he will live but he has a ways to go before they let him out. Hopefully he can get his laptop up in the hospital and blog a little, I will let him explain it all later, I will say he had a bad infection and is on heavy antibiotics.  His wife has not left his side since he got there yesterday. He seemed in good spirits but already very tired of being in bed. I did pass along all the prayers and best wishes from everyone and he was very thankful.

He sent this picture via phone of the nurse giving him his med's in the form of an IV.

Trouble in Blogville, Stephen. (update)2

I got a text from Senior after midnight last night and it sounds like Stephen may be in the hospital till early next week. He has requested no visitors at this time, says he is tired, sore and nurses keep waking him up. He said it was worse that 'THEY' thought.......whatever that means. I think he will be OK in the end but it is fairly trying for him right now. I will see him when I can,  will keep you updated.

Trouble in Blogville, Stephen. (update)

I found out Stephen was admitted to the hospital and taken to surgery. All I know is he is out of surgery and on heavy antibiotics. I will try and see him tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers. 

Trouble in Blogville, Stephen.

I just got a text from Senior, that Stephen is on his way to the hospital. I will get more information and pass it on. Please keep him in your prayers.

Welcome

I would like to welcome a new follower, Jon he has a blog The Steel Book Shelf 
Stop over and say Hi.

Not Good # 24

Not a good place for a possum to take a nap.

Welcome in Order

I would like to welcome two new followers, 'B' and Bill thanks for hitting the follow button. Bill is a firearms instructor and his blog is worth checking out. As always I strive to respond to all comments and questions.

Random Thoughts, MIL update.

I would like to start out by giving a special welcome to new followers, Joe. Texan, Longbow, and Caterina Serra.
Longbow has a blog called Plucking The Yew , check it out and say hello. Also Caterina has a few blogs you can check one out here but I admit I am only partially proficient in English so it's a bit over my head.
Welcome to all of you, I am honored. I always strive to comment on all questions and comments. If I ever miss a comment email me and say "hey dummy I'm waiting for an answer"

On another note my mother in-law who was assaulted in her home is not doing real well. She is mostly recovered from the beating however she needed some surgery to have a tumor removed but because of the assault it had to be postponed. It is scheduled soon but the doctors are not real hopeful she will make it because they fear cancer, the same kind which took my wife. She lives near me and I look after her like my own mother please say a prayer for her.
It has been a trying few weeks and months. Thanks to all my friends out there who lend words of encouragement.

A Perfect Example of Government Control.

Yesterday I did a post on government control and it reminded me of a story I heard a while back, Here is what would probably happen if Noah had to build the ark today. Sad but true.


And the Lord spoke to Noah: ''In six months I'm going to make it rain until the whole earth is covered with water and all the evil people are destroyed. But I want to save a few good people, and two of every kind of living thing on the planet. I am ordering you to build Me an Ark.''

And in a flash of lightning He delivered the specifications for an Ark.

''Okay," said Noah, trembling in fear and fumbling with the blueprints.

''Six months, and it starts to rain,'' thundered the Lord. ''You'd better have my Ark completed, or learn how to swim for a very long time.''
And six months passed. The skies began to cloud up and rain began to fall. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in his front yard, weeping. And there was no Ark.
''Noah," shouted the Lord, "where is my Ark?'' A lightning bolt crashed into the ground next to Noah, for emphasis.

''Lord, please forgive me," begged Noah. "I did my best, but there were big problems. First I had to get a building permit for the Ark construction project, and your plans didn't meet code. So I had to hire an engineer to redraw the plans. Then I got into a big fight over whether or not the Ark needed a fire sprinkler system. My neighbors objected claiming I was violating zoning by building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning commission.

Then I had a big problem getting enough wood for the Ark because there was a ban on cutting trees to save the spotted owl. Then the carpenters formed a union and went out on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone would pick up a saw or a hammer. Now we got 16 carpenters going on the boat, and still no owls.
Then I started gathering up the animals, and got sued by an animal rights group. They objected to me taking only two of each kind. Just when I got the suit dismissed, EPA notified me that I couldn't complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood.
Then the Army Corps of Engineers wanted a map of the proposed new flood plain. I sent them a globe. And the IRS has seized all my assets claiming I'm trying to avoid paying taxes by leaving the country, and I just got a notice from the state about owing some kind of use tax. I really don't think I can finish your Ark for at least another five years,'' Noah wailed.
The sky began to clear. The sun began to shine. A rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up and smiled.

''You mean you're not going to destroy the earth?'' Noah asked, hopefully.

  
The Lord said “No the government beat me to it”

Whats all the fuss about ?

 We should know by now the government controls everything in our lives from the time we come screaming into this world and get a govt. issued  birth certificate till the time we die and our next of kin gets a govt. issued death certificate. The hospital you are born in has more govt. regulations and licenses than you could possibly dream of. When you leave the hospital as a baby you now have to ride home in a  govt. approved car seat, in a car the govt. approved and licensed and driven by a govt. licensed driver. All the food you buy in the supermarket has to have a govt. seal or mark saying it's approved to eat.
Everything in your home is approved by the govt. every electrical component in you home has to have a seal showing it is govt. tested and approved, the paint, wood, shingles, plumbing, heating, A/C, windows...everything has to be govt approved for safety, storm rating, chemical content etc. There is nothing you do that the govt. does not have their fingers in. You pay taxes all your life, you can save and buy a house or land and pay it off but guess what....you never own it, you rent it from the govt., you don't think so? stop paying your property taxes and you will find out who owns it. The govt. tells you what kind of guns you can and can't buy and when you do they are marked by a govt. mandated serial number. Your car has a govt. mandated VIN, you have a govt. issued serial number. Everything you buy is govt. controlled or approved. They control the banks, your money, the fat content of your food, the roads you drive on, the beach you walk on the forest you hunt in, the things you do on your property, the restaurant you eat at, the airlines you fly on, the security at airports etc. etc.,.......  I think you get the point. The government controls your whole life in one way or another. You think you have freedom, I beg you to find something the govt. does not have some control over. You have as much freedom as they allow and not a bit more. The more you think about it the more you realize it is true.

 This brings me to the point of this post, what is all the fuss about the government wanting control of the internet ?,  to be honest I don't see what has taken them so long, they control EVERY aspect of your life and they will get control of the internet as well. We have stood by and let them have all this power so It's not a question of if but when.

Thanks and Welcome

I would like to thank a new follower, Ron @ TOG Blog . His blog is called "The Old Geezer Blog" He has an interesting post about His blog learning experiences. It is a must read for all bloggers, good words of wisdom.
I like to recognize followers and their blogs, take time to check his out. As always I try and respond to all comments and questions. I treat everyone as friends and welcome your input.
Thanks, Duke.

We all need sombody.

A feel good video, only 2:15 in length. Be sure your sound is on.

What Is Going On ?

I was reading Tam's blog the other day and she made a comment about crowds at the gun show this month (Jan 2012) I did not think much more about it till I visited a good size gun shop here last Saturday. I was shocked, the parking lot was full and inside the store you could hardly find a spot at the counter (and like I said this is a large gun shop) The store had 3 telephones on speed dial trying to get background checks done, the phones were on speaker so I could hear them. The applications were stacked up because of the wait. I heard an employee saying they had not seen this much activity before, apparently it was over the entire country. I know I am like a mushroom sometimes but what is going on? why all the fuss now? Did I miss some news? are people worried about the Mayan Calender? Are they worried the big Zero is going after their guns before the election?
Can anybody help a brother out, what did I miss?

Tips to Surviving Martial Law (part 3)

I really didn't expect this to turn into a 3 part issue but I wanted to impart some final thoughts on the subject. I will not rehash the last 2  blogs if you have not read them you are free to do so at your leisure.
I have had some private conversations about this subject and the comment has been made "what about our fore-fathers fighting off the British armies" because as you know it was basically civilian's fighting off trained troops. There were some very basic differences, First of all it was not one family or a small group of 'like minded individuals' fighting them off, it was a fairly organized militia with leadership to keep them together. Second of all, the civilian soldiers had weapons which were identical (for the most part) to the British army.  Today we (the general population) do not have near the weapons and technology our modern armies do, However if  you have a few thousand troops and a stash in your garage of automatic squad weapons, tanks, shoulder fired rockets, Apache helicopters, GPS guided rockets and bombs, grenades etc and the ability to arm all the troops with almost unlimited ammo you might have a 20% chance of staying alive 24 hours. If you want to draw an analogy it would be like Mel Gibson in the movie 'Patriots'  fighting the Brits with a sling shot and a pocket knife.
I am not going to say "roll over and give up" but you do need to be smart. Down the road there may come a time to take a stand but it will come at a very high cost.....very very high indeed.
We all read about the KIA's in Iraq and Afghanistan and how the insurgents (guerrilla  fighters) are giving us so much trouble, well I can tell you as someone who has been there the ratio of their KIA to ours is about 5:1 ...... not very good odds and they actually have some advanced weapons.
If you study military history, tactics have changed drastically over the last few centuries. Even WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq etc were all very different so you can expect it will still change a lot in the future so stay flexible and learn as much as possible. One thing that does not change is 'timing' and 'surprise' both are your allies. You have to have both to have your best odds of survival. 'Surprise' is easy, 'timing' is not.
I can assure you I am not one to give up without a fight but you have to pick your fights and you don't show up to a gun fight with only a pocket knife because they sure would be surprised but it would not be good timing.

Tips to Surviving Martial Law (part 2)

Yesterday I did a very short piece on Martial Law (or whatever else you wish to call it) and I was reminded of some misconceptions about survival when this happens and we have TEOTWAWKI.
My intent was not to tell you how to operate but to get you to maybe think of different options which maybe you had not considered. In a survival situation the most common threat I think will be looters, thugs, zombies etc who did not prepare and wish to take your stuff anyway they can, defending against them is something you need to consider and take proper steps to ensure survival.

The other issue is trained, well armed troops, this was the focus of my blog yesterday. These troops will very likely be used to enforce martial law. I should also point out most of them will no doubt be doing so reluctantly and this is even more reason not to cross them because if you appear to comply they most likely will move on. I have heard many bone-headed comments about how someone will take on all threats regardless of who they are, if that's a hill you want to die on be my guest I'm just here to tell you if you tangle with a squad of Marines or Army troops etc you will loose. That group of soldiers at your door is backed up by more troops and one well armed Humvee can level your home in seconds and not break a sweat. This is why most people who have been trained by the military in these weapons understand what they can do and don't want to be on the receiving end of them.

 I know somebody will say "what about guerrilla tactics" , well let me tell you the difference. You can't use them when you are face to face with someone. When I was in Iraq it was somebody shooting from a building a long ways off and guess what, they still lost....almost every time, this is why they resorted to road side bombs. Bottom line is if they know where you are, you will loose, sure you may take some of them  with you but is that really a good plan? You have to understand there in nothing in a city block that will stop a 50 cal round. It will go through 10 houses and kill anyone in it's path...and it's fully auto, also a Mk 19 is a machine gun which shoots grenades which upon impact have a 5 meter kill radius (over 15 feet) not to mention the AT4, all these are squad weapons. We have not even touched on helicopter mounted weapons.
It goes without saying the VERY best plan is being a long ways away when these events go down, bug out before hand. If you have no option but to stay home, be smart. Play it safe the best you can IF you really want to survive.
I am not trying to defend the government and actions they may take, just pointing out the probable outcome if you engage them.

Tips To Surviving Martial Law

 I received an email the other day from a fellow combat vet with some tips on what to do during Martial law. I have expanded it a little. It seems with the new year there is a new push to stock up on survival supplies. 

As you know Martial Law can happen any time there is a natural disaster or a collapse of society is possible much like Katrina. This may well be what we see if we have a break down of our economy.  You could see troops going door to door confiscating weapons and food supplies.  

If it gets to the point of you facing a squad of police, Soldiers, Marines etc going door to door you won't be able to fight your way out, your best defense will be compliance so they go away and you can put phase 2 of your survival plan into action. This is not meant to apply to zombie looters but official government troops.


Some strategies to consider when confronted with 
a martial law scenario.

1. Hide your weapons well

 Be creative in where you hide your weapons   during a disaster, but be able to gain access if needed, don't keep them all in one place.

  Searchers aren't likely to expend the time or     effort to do a  thorough search (because of the shear volume of homes)

especially if you follow these other tips.

2. Have a 'decoy gun'

     Buy a disposable  firearm for as little money as possible.  This can be used as a 'decoy  gun' that can be given up  willingly during a martial law confiscation.

  Law enforcement and military quite possibly will have a registry of potential firearm  owners anyway and lying to them will only draw unnecessary attention.

I would add, if possible don't use a piece of junk that is obviously junk. It will look too suspicious. 

3. Comply and complain.

     When surrendering  your decoy gun to officials at your door, turn the tables on them by angrily interrogating the person in charge.

"Why are you taking my ONLY gun?"... 

"But how am I going to protect myself now that I'm UNARMED?"...

 "WHEN am I gonna get it back?"
These types of questions act as a 'mind-trick' to  hypnotize the searchers that this really is the only weapon  you have.

  Plus, no one likes a complainer. As long as    they think you're complying with their order, they may not feel a need to search for other weapons and will move on to another home that isn't inhabited by a 'whiner' like you.

Just some ideas to ponder, always have a backup plan, Like my friend  Stephen Says, "backup to a backup to a backup"

Tips to surviving Martial Law Part 2 Click Here
Tips to surviving Martial Law Part 3 Click Here

Survival Ammo

303 British

I like to tinker and experiment with guns and ammo. I have reloaded my own cartridges for many years am always thinking of ways to do it more efficient and save money. This would be especially helpful in a survival situation. I was recently thinking of reloading shotgun shells using the all brass cases, these would be preferable because they would last longer than plastic shells.
I was on line looking at 12 gauge brass hulls and also saw 410 hulls for sale. They both ran about $25 for a box of 25, not too bad so I started looking at loads for 410 shells and ran across a link where 410 shells could be made from 303 British ammo. I decided making my own shells would be better that paying for them so I scrounged around and found an empty 303 cartridge and decided to experiment.
First I annealed the case by heating the top half of the shell over a gas burner till it turned red and then dropped it in cold water. This made the brass softer and easier to expand.
Next I put in a large rifle primer (I understand you could also use large pistol primers as the powder for shotgun is slowing burning like a pistol powder) and charged it with 17 to 20 grains of Unique powder. I decided the amount of powder is not overly critical at this stage because I was not shooting a projectile and pressures would be very low compared to shooting shot (much like a blank) I then filled the rest of the case up with Grits, you could also use cream of wheat, rice, or even pack the case with a t-shirt material. I then sealed the top of the case with wax ( I just jammed it into a candle)
I then loaded the cartridge into my Savage, over-under 22/410.
I folded a rag and placed it on my garage floor, rested the barrel on the rag and fired. The gun barely made a 'pop' sound, in fact it sounded like a dud almost and no recoil at all.

Newly formed 410 shell

 When I ejected I had a fire-formed all brass 410 shell, roughly the same length as a two and a half inch shell (shown at left)
I need to find a supply of spent 303 brass and make about 25 or 30 more and experiment with different loads.  I plan to cut (or stamp) wads from heavy card stock or the sides of wax coated milk cartons. The primers can be punched out with a small punch and then re-primed by hand using a rubber mallet. I will then use a standard load's for 410's,  cover the powder with a shot wad and fill the case up with BB's. A second wad can be placed on top and sealed with silicone or multi-purpose glue.
I will do a second part to this a little later and show results.  I want to also test using single ball ammo as well.  The case fits very well in the chamber and ejects easily.
The benefit of making this ammo is it can be loaded by hand without special tools and you could use large primers you have on hand. You also have the added bonus of developing any special load you can dream up from a slug to bird shot. I plan to explore this in the future for 410 as well as 12 gauge.

Not Good # 23

Not a good thing to find in your backyard.....here Fido, here boy....where is Fido????

The Doorbell

Every American should watch this video .....the end is what grabs you. (only 59 seconds long)
Think before you vote.

Special Welcome

Thanks to Mystic Mud , a new follower.  She has a large family and they are carving out a home on a mountain top in Tennessee. Please check out her site.

How would you like to find this in your pond?

During WWII a boy saw a German tank being driven into a Russian lake. Apparently this was done to prevent it from being captured.
60 years later he was relaying the story to others and it was decided to try and find it. He remembered the location and after some exploration it was found. This video shows it being removed. It was later put into running order, it was very well preserved in the lake because the water was very cold and it was buried in the mud. (only 1 minute long)

My Dog is a Democritter.

Nobody loves me.

He does not go to work
He sleeps most of the day.

His food is prepared for him at no cost to him.

He doesn't pay for medical care.
He lives for free in a house not his own.

When he makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.

All his expenses are paid by others who work for a living.

(The big difference is I had him neutered and he can't vote)

Not Good # 22

The worst kind of 'Not Good'

Goofy

Lunar Madness, MIL Update.

I am tired this morning, I was at the emergency room last night (this morning) till 1:00 AM. It is true what they say about the full moon. I think I could have a months worth of blog material from last night.
Anyway, for those who know about my MIL, she is still having problems and last night I took her back to the hospital. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.
She did get a letter from the States Attorney and the scum who assaulted her is being charged with 1st degree attempted murder, home invasion and grand theft auto.

Welcome New Friend

Welcome to CoolChange, Check out his blog. He's a fellow biker (I like his Heritage Softail)

My '05 Road King Police.

As always I always try and respond to all comments and questions.

Prepping for Free

I hear a lot of issues about money when it comes to preps. Here is an idea which is free.
I have spent a lot of time living in the field and eating bland food's, one thing I learned is little things make all the difference when it comes to food. I have also eaten MRE's for years in the field and one thing that is traded the most between troops is the condiment packets, nothing makes the crackers taste better than peanut butter or jelly.

Most of the times when you go to a fast food restaurant we get those little packets of ketchup, mayo, salt, pepper, relish, honey, jelly and crackers you can even find packets of soy sauce, duck sauce, vinegar etc. In hotels and some restaurants you get packets of coffee, tea, hot chocolate mix, sugar, mints etc.  Instead of throwing them away take them home and drop them in a bag or box. We like to prep with jars of this kind of thing but the little packets would be very handy in certain instances like camping or hiking or living on the move. For the most part they should last a very long time. A little packet of jelly has about 50 calories and a ketchup packet is about 15 calories. Trust me if you were eating beans and rice every day a small amount of sauce would make a huge difference to the taste. Homeless people make soup out of these little packets mixed with hot water.  A small container with packets of crackers, jelly, peanut butter etc in a BOB could sustain you for a few days and it will keep well and you wont have to open a larger container. MRE's have gum and matches as well in them so you could add these if you find them as promotional items.
When you are 'roughing it' morale is a big issue that is why the military has always included these in MRE's or rations, in the field I used to fill my cargo pockets with these little packets to nibble on, nothing is quite like feeling down and finding a forgotten packet of candy or coffee to remind you of better times, not a bad deal for free.

How the Dog Stays Warm.

It is cold outside so I thought you might enjoy this. It's only 13 seconds. 

Welcome.

Thanks and welcome to JC for hitting my 'follow' button. JC has a blog 'Rage against the IDIOTS' , stop by and say hello. As as always I try and answer all comments and questions.

Ultimate Assault Weapon

Alright, got your attention, maybe a little misleading but something to ponder. I have long been a fan of shotguns for defense, I know they have limits for range but if you think about it there is no other gun which has the capability to deliver 2 shots faster than a double barrel, in fact most can fire both barrels at the same time and with 00 Buck there is nothing than can come close to delivering 18 chunks of 30+ caliber lead down range faster.
I was pondering all this a few weeks ago and decided to do some tinkering. I had a double barrel coach gun with exposed hammers and decided to 'play' with it so to speak.  I stripped the finish and gave it an oil rub stock to subdue it somewhat. I then installed sling swivels on the stock and barrel rib. I caution anyone about drilling and tapping the rib on a double (not a job for faint of heart) as the barrels almost touch in the center of the rib and you could easily drill into them or damage them. I finished it up by slipping a shell holder on the stock and installing a aftermarket SKS sling.
I like the exposed hammers because it makes it safer to carry it loaded and is not cocked till the hammers are activated. I know it is not a gun to replace a MBR but it would make a nice supplemental piece and excellent for close range work. Even the military has had shotguns in their arsenal for over 100 years and realize their benefit and value.
Not a bad choice for a 'truck' or 'trunk' gun and if broken down it fits easily into most back packs or hand luggage.
Shotguns can be had cheap, maybe not many double barrels but certainly pumps and they to make good defense pieces (in fact the military uses pumps). I think any serious prepper should consider a shotgun in their arsenal. The shells can be reloaded by hand with no special tools and ammo may be easier to obtain one day because it is not viewed as 'dangerous' as 223 for example, even Wally Wart keeps it out on open shelves and not locked up like other ammo, I don't understand their reasoning because I can't think of ANY weapon I would dread more at close range.

Not Good # 21

Not a good time to ask your wife for a favor. 
PS, I did not take this picture at Stephen's  home.

Worth a look.

I was over at Hillbilly's blog and his last two posts are thought provoking, worth pondering.


Also, special welcome to Crex thanks for hitting the follow button. Glad to have you along. As always I try and respond to all comments and questions.

Groundhog Day

In this New Year, 2012, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union address will occur on the same day.

This is an ironic course of events. One involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to an insignificant creature, of little intelligence, for forecasting something they have no control over.

The other involves a groundhog.