I don't have much input to justify a separate stand-alone blog in the net

So if the sherrifs don't mind , I like to establish a micro-blog thread here in ETS.
Don't worry , all ETS rules will be followed, and then some.

I have done this a few times in other forums and have seen this to be a great alternative for lazy bloggers like me.

I saw this video on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j76jdUygIUQ

The girl is obsessed with Filofaux planner/organizers

Instead of using it to manage time and tasks to do, she has become addicted to finding the "perfect" planner.

It sort of reminded me of some preppers who have fallen into gear adddiction , so we have got knife-aholics, bag-aholics, etc.

Fetishes !!

It may bring a few negative ideas to our minds, but for me I have a "good" fetish. I have befriended my bag.

If you think about it, many times , especially in hard times, and times of stress and conflict, you start to think like ( I don't have REAl friends to trust and count on). I had the feeling many times, and when I thought about those times I remembered that I almost always have turned back to my bag ( GHB or whatever you may want to call it). Sometimes, I had to use the medical pouch for eye drops or alllergy pill, or the knife to open something , or pen & paper to write a to-do list, or the multitool to fix something

In most of these cases, there were people who didn't do anything.
Some were hysterical, but didnt do a thing.
Some wanted to do, but couldn't.
Some didnt even care !!!
but my bag was there and it got what i needed

Another thing is that bags do not argue unnecessarily !!
In one bag/kit, I have got 2 EMT shears. Seems to have happened by mistake, then when I found out I just left them both there to remember that bags "don't mind". This is in contrast to many people who argue for the sake of argument, like a work collegue who always was absent from our meetings, and when we started the work which we agreed on , he always argued and made it difficult for us to finish the work on time.

I have decided on that bag to contain 2 EMT shears, and so far it hasn't said a word !!!

Events do happen sometimes in thought provoking sequence

First, I had me some tree chopped down and I had to split that wood for fire and cooking

Second, my son tells me he needs to change worn out tires on the sedan, he gets the money, and he brings home two worn out tires. He says : you may find a use for them, dad.

Third, I stumble on this video.

hmmmmm


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRuk_jd1f8M

I am not superstitious . But sometimes events are sooo bad, they make your thinking go in a whirlpool. And when things do not make sense and things are not rational or understandable, supertition starts to crawl in

THINGS DO HAPPEN

That's why we prepare

I have always told my kids to not rely too much on technology because it can and will fail . I told them for example not to rely on their "smart" phones to save contacts. Rather they should have additional copies , HARD copies , of those contacts.

Sometimes, in the whirlpool of life we forget what we preach. So there I was, planning for some financial moves and have read the investment analysis of someone I trust . He made some analysis and suggestions in about 2 pages. I thought I "will come back to that website later to study it deeper before acting". I could have printed those 2 pages and put the papers in my bag, but I didn't.

Well, it is now several days that the website is not accessible.
By the time it comes back, the suggestions he gave may not be valid anymore.

Next time, I won't preach anything unless I practice it first

I use a Google contacts Thunderbird plugin to sync them down to my local system then I can print out. No sense in entering them twice, once in the phone and once in something else to print. Just sync them back then print

Actually, Eugene, my way is a bit less technical

I only store essential numbers in my not-so-smart phone
And I have a spare (older) phone with duplicate list

Rest of the world stay on paper phone list. Many copies around in office, car, house .. everywhere. Updated every 2 years

These days I am supposed to be on 3-week vacation, and a mile-long to-do list. However, in the first few days , I got hit by a health condition where I get dizzy when I do some hard work

Doc hammered me for not having a checkup for 4 years ! New tests revealed I was difficient in several nutrients. I left the clinic with a truck load of vitamins, anitbiotics, and other stuff.

During this vacataion, a few things happened .. and I got dizzier and dizzier. Between going ot post office to find a lost parcel for my daughter, and doing the paper work for my father-in-law's next appointment in a cardiac center, I received phone calls for the wife asking for this or that and I tell her : it would be Thursday , someone else has to do it on Wednesday, 'casue Thursday is a weekend ... she laughs and answers : have you forgotten ???
Weekend is already changed to Friday and Saturday.
Thursday is a working day now !!!

LOL

I stopped the car somewhere and just laughed at myself and my situation ...

Yea, .gov just changed our weekend...
and I have several homemade planner/organizers to modify and change the weekend to the new settings


OK, time for another pill

Just search for it using Google. To the right of the URL you will see a down arrow, click on it and select "Cache." This will show you a cached version of the website.

Thanks Treeseeker

How do you know you are an "addict"

Well, it is when you start to see things that are not there.
OK, my eyes are not 6/6, but I swear that I saw a link to "Bug out bag" something an hour ago.

"Nope", a whispering voice says, "you are only addicted to BOBs, and it's you did somnething about it. It is maybe time to have a break.

Oh, well, it WAS "Bug out bag" that I saw, Iand I just clocked the link and I am waiting for the page.

Well, I am not sure that Mother Earth News do cover BOBs and survival kits, but that is what I saw.

Web-page appeared
.... and the title said " Bug eat bug " !!!!!

Oh,
now .. that is more like Mother Earth News ... LOL

So, I was seeing things

And I am definitely addicted !!!

Is it really prepping, or just a justified case of OCD ?
This is what goes in my mind when I read about people accumulating gear.

There are times when I buy 2 or 3 of something "just in case"
Sometimes I am releived I did 'cause that stuff disappears from the market ( half a dozen of my favorite clone multitool ).

Luckily, I am the kind of reluctant customer
"thinking about something " takes a big chunck of my life
so I didn't accumulate too many knives, bags of other stuff. But still think time to time about the issue of preparedness itself and how much time we should be spending on preparedness.

The best way to go - in my opinion - is to buy whatever you need in your LIFE. To use things for camping, work and other tasks , and so you justify the item even if no disaster happens.

Being prepared does not mean you are necessarily prepared for TEOTWAWKI literally. Life itself , as we live it , is choke full of mini - teotwawki's. A Case in point, my dad's illness did not only mess up many of my plans, it had forced me to think outside the box, improvise, use my tools and bags more frequwetly than I have done before.

I am really thankfull to everyone here for their inspiration and ideas. Although I haven't used the knowledge to start a fire under icy conditions, but the duct tape card, pocket knife, and even the walking pharmacy ( personal medicines in pencil pouch ) have helped me a great deal through multiple sleepless nights during the toughest times of dad's ilness. The multitool came very handy fixing dad's toilet chair whic almost broke in the worst of times.

My word to everyone is to keep prepping
Aliens may not drop on us from the sky, but you may find yourself facing a ton of problems , with nothing but the stuff you have on you.

I propose a new acronym LAWLI. life A We Live It.

Normal everyday life is where the most "emergencies" appear. We tend to think in terms of the BIG event. Little ones can do as much damage.

Thanks Chisel. Preparing for life's everyday hazards a philosophy I have used for years, but never had a word to define it. LAWLI.

Nomad

www.griddowncomms.com

Thanks Nomad for your encouraging words
It is indeed LAWLI. LOL

One evening the wife had to go to a doctor with older daughter and I had to wait in the car with the younger daughter who had an exam next day. We were in a parking lot with dim light. Hanging the headlight on the mirror and directing it to the book provided all the light we needed. But in addition I removed the lens and reflector from a flashlight to make a battery powered "candle". It was a fun time studying together.

Best part of the fun is that younger daughter now has her own "bag of tricks".

This was not the first video clip where I see this , so it is worth worrying about. The guy starts the stove or fire using a match, BLOWS OUT the match , looks right and left trying to find a safe spot to throw the match.

mmm ... how about throwing it IN TH FIRE !!!!
It will add a few calories(?) of heat, you know.

This maybe a great source of amusement and jokes but in a survival situation, a brains so tightly restrained by habits is not a useful tool. It is just like an axe/knife that has not been sharpened for years.

It is amazing how habbits get hold of our brains.
In one video, people were training for hypothermia coditions, boiled some water , and since it was too hot to drink, they put their metals canteens in a stream to cool them a bit !!!
Wasn't it better to utilize that excess temperature to help dry the wet clothes instead ???? Wrapping the canteen with wet clothes was going to cool the water AND make the clothes a bit dryer.

We have to look into our habbits and try to make them a bit more sensible and more "survival friendly".

Altoids has become an icon of (personal - or pocket - survival kit). But there is another type of container that really deserves its own rank in the container-of-the-year contest (if there was one) !! It is the TOOL BOX !

Alright it is called "TOOL" box, but there is no law it can't be used for anything else. There is even a video clip on You Tube where a guy use a tool box to store his office snacks or lunch.

I use a tool box for several purposes other than screwdriver-plier-hammer kits. Here are few 'unusual' contents I have used such boxes for :

- One box contains sewing stuff
- One contains medical items
- One is used to store extra prep items like (small) knife sharpeners, survival keyrings, tiny compasses and flashlights ..etc.
- One is used to store old watches & accessories

Plastic drawers are available with many different sizes and shapes. They are great but sometimes you need stuff to be portable and organizeable. There is where a tool box will excel

Losing things sucks, and even more so if you don't how it happened , and the thought it might happen again.

Sometime ago, I have discovered that the car MT (multitool ) is missing from center console. After grinding my teeth , I boought another and put it there. But a few days ago, I disovered 2 more items missing from the car glove compartment : a pocket knife and a wallet.

Puzzle is that both were in a small bag (almost size of EDC organizer !! So, who would take the time to open that bag, pick the wallet only , ZIP the bag closed again, and put it back into the glove compartmrnt !! ?

Along with the wallet was a nice 5-LED flashlight (2xAA batteries). It is still there ! The bag is nice with a number of carabiners around it and 2 scissors, which are still there.

BTW, the MT wasn't alone either. There is still a swiss army knife, a nice small LED flashlight (3xAAA) and they are still there. Actually I thought the MT itself was almost invisible compared the the orange flashlight because MT was in a black pouch in the dark center console which was black on the inside !! At night, you have to touch it to know it was there.

Anyways.
Losing stuff makes you feel depressed.
And not knowing how it happened makes you even more so.

The one night I left my truck unlocked in years someone got in and found the little bag under the drivers seat with a flashlight, batteries, compass, radio, change, etc.

After losing those items I started double and triple checking.

So far, I have found the doors unlocked 2 times.

Old age, I think
I am just happy I didn't put anything irreplaceable in that wallet. Only COPIES of driver's liscence and business card.

But who knows : If I have put in there the real driver liscence and real car registration card, this considerate thief might have left them behind. LOL

New - unrelated- entry:

Last night I was in the car listening to the radio and there were a number of situations where the word "evacuation" were repeated : In Egypt , in Lybia , and a few other areas

The phrase "bug out bag" came to mind, but it really really sucks when you know you are "evacuated for good" from your home. Gives a totally different meaning to "bugging out". Your heart sinks. You only hope that you have the ability to forget and move on.

It is amazing how people destroy themselves

People who smoke or take drugs ? Yes, but there is another type that destroy themselves from within for no apprent reason.

We - me and my brothers - have noticed our father totally giving up and repeating his wish to die, only because he isn't willing to put some effort in his own healing. He doesn't tolerate any pain during the physiotherapist work on his legs. Even before his injury he wasn't willing even to take his own regular medicine (which was only 2 pills a day).

Right or wrong , we burst in anger and told him HE was pushing himself to die and that many others have had similar probklems and recovered including our mom.

He is still insisting that problem is elsewhere. He blames his sons to be negligecting him, and blames the absense of his cane for not being able to walk. We cannot convince him that depending on his cane is still dangerous when his own legs are not trained enough.

Dad's situation has taught me that believing in yourself and strenghthening your own abilities is your first step to survival. Blaming others is the first step in the opposite direction.

Thats why you have layers to your preps. Have a basic BOB for the jump out the window because the house is on fire in the middle of the night situation. Then have more layers for the two days warning to evac before a hurricane.
Anything I would want to take in the latter is always at the ready. expensive tools in their tool boxes, original pictures and important documents are in their binder in the safe. Pictures on the walls are copies so I don't have to gather those.

There is another dimension in the thought of evacuation

Communities differ. Some are nomadic by nature and some stay in the same land for generations. Modern age "nomads" exist among people who will jump at the first chance of - for example - a better job 1000 miles away. And there are those who won't leave the land for whatever reason. To the latter, a forced evacuation may seem like TEOTWAWKI.

I plan for both. There are many people who will come on some forums and declare "I'm bugging in not out". But to me to only plan to bug in is to not prep to bug out. I believe you need to prepare for both.

Off course

Amazing how everyone seems to follow the CROWD, not their own instincts or their brains.

Sometimes, I walk lazily around our work area going from a building to another or waiting for something in my car. In those moments I have noticed a few things among non-human creatures.

One of the most amazing scenes I have seen is birds following the crowd. I thought only humans did that.

There are kind folks who bring some bread crumbs or wheat grains or whatever and spread it in some areas. This is left for birds to feast on. This food is spread in more than one spot, birds come in and may concentrate on one. Amazing thing is that other birds coming late do not seem to grab the opportunity of the other dish or spot with no one around, rather seem attracted to the dish where everyone else is fighting.

hmmmm
We are not alone , I have discovered.

https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Flock_Defense.html

Flocking defense...works for some dangers,doesn't for others...

Thanks UncleGoo

That was interesting and educational

I also followed the link to Mixed-Species_Flocking

https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Mixed-Species_Flocking.html

The birds that feed are a mix of doves, ducks, sparrows, and white-cheek-"something" (forgot the name of the bird. LOL ) beside a few other species.

And , yes, cats are all around. The other day I saw a duck with only one duckling. They were separated from the rest of the ducks (about 20) . Someone indicated the duck used to have about 10 babies a few days earlier.

My attitude towards animals is that I love them so much as to NOT have them as pets. If they die or something I can't stop blaming myself. Rather I put a feeder in my garden where they eat and drink and go. The mother duck mentioned above had the baby with a large pond separating them from the rest of the ducks. This pond is man-made and constructed from concrete ( just like a shallow pool ). Actually it was just made for landscaping - not with ducks in mind. The ducks were added later. It had high concrete edges that didn't allow ducks in or out so easily. Only one spot was added for exit/entry to the water. This - in my view - had contributed to the sad demis of the small ducks. If they were in the middle of those 20 large ducks , no cat would dare approach them.

Hey, the predators need to eat, too. ;-)

LOL

You are right

One ineteresting species of "predators", I have noticed , is low-paid workers doing gardening or cleaning jobs around the area. I have no idea if they were to blame too for disappearing ducks, but I have seen some of them grabbing migrating birds which landed near the pond.

hmmm
I may ask them for some training in (Urban Survival)

DW commandeered BOTH of my leatherman waves for her crafting kits. Might be a good place to look for yours as well.

LOL

Maybe

You know, losing the MT has confirmed a principle of ( keep the best for last ) that I have been sticking to for years. I have several MT's and have always used the ones I liked the least while my favorite MT's are hidden in a drawer.

The logic is that our market will not keep the "best" ones for long. They do disappear after a few months. So, it doesn't make sense to consume the good ones while the "bad" ones are stored safely. "BAD" does not mean necessarily low quality or easy to break for example, but could mean anything from having tools that I do not need, to being too large for my hand (as in the one I lost) or other features that make me less satisfied using that particular MT.

I was disturbed to lose this one, but was a bit relieved that it wasn't one of the favorite MT's.

Now, one of my favorite MT's sits in the center console
I am hoping that nothing happens to it.

After watching a few dozen videos of bushcraft, I came to like it a lot. By my nature, I love being alone , doing my own things in quiet natural places. Problem is : how do you do (BUSH)crafting, when you are surrounded by sparse vegetation and oceans of sand ? LOL

Maybe I should be carrying a small folding shovel, instead of a knife, and make sand castles instead of wooden spoons.

LOL

Perhaps we have different criteria for "best" but all of my favorite models of multitool have been on the market for some years and still are.

Definitely

My "like" and "dislike" are mostly based on design: like how big/small, or which tools are included and which I would consider as "dead weight".

One of my favorite pocket knives is a cheap folder ( about U.S.$ 6) made in Pakistan. It doesn't hold an edge but doesn't have to. Most of my work (90%) can be done by a dull knife, and if sometimes a sharper knife was needed I have the options of (a) the second blade which is rarely used and (b) other knives in my bag or car.

This knife I use every single day and like it so much, I bought two more.

So, it depends what you do and what you need.

Yup, and critically, for me, how well those tools work.

At risk of threadjacking here. Will start new one.

Some of these models work quite well, considering they are inexpensive and made in China

Today's 2¢ is about "private time".

I have managed to find a way to "cheat" ( morally and legally off course ) and have my own few-hour escape from home and work. A workday of the week is not included in my work contract, so at work they assume I am at home and vice versa. I can spend those few hours enjoying myself or doing what I want/like to do until it is time to pick up my daughter from school.

Last few weeks, the weather was good and I made most of it relaxing on the beach or some parks here and there with some coffee and snacks.

Weather is changing now to higher temps. And I am wondering how to manage this weekly "great escape" from now on. I thought of all possibilities but couldn't find the prefect answer.

Going to a hotel is too expensive considering I don't need bed, shower, or the 24 hours. It is only about 4 hours on one day of the week. OTOH, I need the A/C and a hotel room is perfect for that.

A cafe is another good option. AC & toilet are available, but taking the EDC bag and a laptop ( for watching movies ..etc.) I don't think a cafe is safe enough. Once I go to the toilet, I may have to pack everything.

Well, I will think of something. It is really great to be away from it all for a few hours now and then. It helps you to unwind and come back totally fresh.

Form a small group at the café to look out for each other on your meet ups. Many retired people do this, just look around whilst you are there.

Have a quiver of 'roosts' available, going back to the same café base week after week gets boring.

Have you considered a library?

Thanks Ian

Actually I am trying to run AWAY from people. To be ALONE.
A cafe is OK IMO because everyone is minding their own business, looking at their smart phones or sipping coffee silently, or a couple talking to each other. After ordering coffee and muffin, no one comes and asks me anything. That's the beauty of it.

The other day, I was in the office trying to have a break and use it to call my son and talk about his low grades at school. A guy stood there waiting for me to finish and help him on something. That bothered me alot because he was just standing there and I couldn't talk freely to my son.

This is why I want to have some time ALONE, away from office and home.

A library is a great idea but will be "dry" without tea or coffee
Also, again, once i go to the toilet (I am 60 yo), I will have to secure the EDC bag and laptop.

I wish there was something between a cafe and motel room.

My job has no set hours or workplace. If I skive off for an afternoon to go to a coffee shop, the range, the beach, or for a hike, nobody I work with gives a hoot as long as everything that needs to get done gets done.

As for your coffee shop scenario, I don't leave my laptop unsupervised for a second. If I don't know someone well I won't leave my laptop with them and then it does have to come with me into the restroom. To avoid funny looks and to protect the rest of the gear in my laptop bag, I bring my laptop in my bag.

Local twitter accounts are humming with pictures and tweets about a little girl (Sara) who has cancer. No single hair on her head but the big smile on her face makes up for it.

She broke my heart

It was only a few days before a courageous lady (Dr. Samia Al-Amoudi) tweeted about the removal of her second breast due to cancer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samia_al-Amoudi

No matter what your problem in life is, there is always someone with bigger problem. And it is these people who teach us courage.

Thanks Chaosmagnet

My laptop is 15.6 inches. It will not fit in the EDC bag. A smaller laptop is a great solution but my 60 year old eyes will have trouble reading it.

Maybe it's time for another bag to contain the laptop plus misc. stuff. Then a cafe will be just great.

This is my laptop. There are many like it but this one is mine. Without me, my laptop is useless ('cause like, dude, I have serious encryption on it). Without my laptop, I am...well, I can get a lot of work done with my iPad, but for serious work I really need it.

Try a bookstore. Where i work, people sit there for hours and no one disturbes them at all. Find a quiet corner with an outlet, get a coffee, and enjoy. Problem solved...plus the wifi is free.

In my corner of the world, bookstores are just that ( shops selling books and stationary). There is only one such store that allows people to sit and read, but that's it. A few chairs here and there.

OTOH, some of our cafe's do have small libraries of fiction and non-fiction. And the best pert is that they are not crowded on workdays.

Seems that a cafe is my best bet once I find a bag of my taste that can hold the laptop as well as the rest. A backpack is great for such purpose, but it is mostly considered a "school bag" in my community. So far, I haven't seen a guy in my age carrying one.

Rearrange the straps so that you have a "briefcase" - a more age appropriate image. There are bags out there - Eagle Creek is one brand - that actually allow you to do that.

Also with smaller laptop/phone/tablet screens one could use a cheap reading glasses with great results.

Today's post has to do with "realistic" preparedness. To be prepared for REAL life inconveniences and things that do happen more frequently or more probable to happen than an earthquake or volcano ( in my area at least !)

A few weeks ago, I drove to my hometown to spend a couple of days with my mother and brothers. But things happened suddenly and I had to stay there for a few more days. I was not prepared.

Yes, I was living in a house, actually in my own room with a separate bath. Yes, food was available, and every life need is provided. But I was not prepared for NOT being back home, in my own house.

Several things needed me to be back. My daughter depended on me to take her to school daily, my stock portfolio was in a case of a roller-coaster and I needed to be there to act. I didn't have my laptop, and didn't have my password which is written in a small notebook inside my "portable-office bag".

Not only that , but if my stay gets any longer, I would not have enough "nice" clothes to meet and visit people in those circumstances (someone diagnosed with cancer, lots of visitors ..etc.).

I have stored some used "casusal" clothes in that room, but nothing for real occasions. Have stored some tools and even copies of contact numbers , but not banking and investment info.
The GHB and car trunk bag had firestarting stuff alright, but not what was necessary to attend to the portoflio mess while I was there.

Back to the drawing board. Learning from the experience and planning to become a bit more prepared next time.

Good points - travel with more of your needs -- esp if going by car.

Yes

After what happened I have easily decided to multiply the emergency cash in the GHB/BOB (always with me) by a factor of five. But other decisions are not that easy, especially stuff to be stored there.

For example.
I'll add some nicer clothes, but there is no guarantee that next emergency will require nicer clothes. May require something else. Also, they may be needed too far in the future when I am fatter or thinner (planning to lose weight).

An old Nokia phone was abandoned at home . It is the basic model that has a "flashlight", or torch, at the top. I took it as an emergency phone. charged it 3 months ago, SHUT IT OFF, and put it in my GHB/BOB

Today, I switched it on , and it read FULL battery.

Great little gadget for emergencies

Caution there: I tried this with an older phone (Razr) on the Verizon network and found that the phone can not be booted up if it has been inactivated (which was the case, since I migrated to another phone). Verizon confirmed that once the phone was deactivated by them it was a brick unless I wanted to have it reactivated (at a cost... of course). So in MY case this idea won't work. YMMV

Eagle Creek, Solo, Timbuk2, Briggs and Reily, Manhatten Portage, and a number of other brands all have "convertible" laptop backpacks. They're adaquate as both a backpack and a briefcase, but don't really shine as one or the other. Business oriented backpacks, like Samsonite, have become fairly common.

For laptop security, every laptop and desktop I have ever been issued came with a cable lock, automatic backup, and hard drive encryption. One particularly security concious (paranoid) employer issued cable alarms. If you made it 20 feet before all he11 broke loose, you were doing better then most.

I don't think to call a person out on something is inherently a bad thing. The real question is, what are you going to do with it? To sit and pout and say, "it's that person's fault" will get you nowhere.

I think football would be a good illustration. A person on your team catches the football and is going for a touchdown. You run alongside him. The teammate lets the ball slip from his hands. Will you stop in your tracks and yell at him? "Dummy! You should have held onto the ball." Or will you grab the ball before it touched the ground and go for the touchdown?

Someone else may have fumbled the ball; so what? You grab that ball before it can touch the ground and go for the touchdown.

Jeanette Isabelle

WOW !!!
Jeanette, I have even forgotten about this thread
You resurrected it from deep under.

Thanks

I have nothing to blog about today, except that my knee problem has taught me so many things. For example, my home office (aka man cave) is in the upper floor of the house, and it has suddenly become inaccessible for approximately two months. This has made me think about so many things. One of them is how to beef up my bag to somehow compensate me when my own den is inaccessible. I have to make sure that most of my important stuff is in the companion bag and laptop.

I understand the importance of maintaining a journal. In your case, a blog. There are also times where (even if you have material from your life) you can't get it down on paper. It frustrates you because you want to record what happened; you are somehow unable and don't know why. It's not just me. I have seen this same thing happen to another person I know.

Jeanette Isabelle

We have psychological experts who can tell us why . But in any case, we do not tell the world every bit of our lives. No one is interested to know why I did this or didn't do that. So, we write a little bit that maybe, just maybe, interesting to some prepper folks in a prepper forum, or a few handyman stories in a handyman forum, or share very old pictures with those interested in old pictures, and so on.

In this age of digital everything — in spite of all the talk of paperless this and paperless that — I was just at Staples and there were shelves of paper, journals, spiral notebooks and steno notebooks... and pens and pencils.

People have blogs so that when they write something people they don’t even know can read and know what’s going on in their life or just in their head.

Back to Staples — bought a new Parker Jotter with gel ink. I already have Parker pens in both rollerball and plain old ball point, fine and medium points respectively. I’m going to reteach myself how to write in cursive... Maybe keep a journal...

I only write and keep the interesting parts. A record of one's life can come in a variety of forms. During a journalling hiatus, I continued to record my life via e-mail conversations.

Jeanette Isabelle

My son and daughter have just started working a few months ago. I advised them to keep a work journal. I kept a 100 page notebook in my work bag and wrote things like phone numbers of visiting engineers, or what projects we were starting ..etc. The 100 page notebook filled up and I started a 200 page notebook but retired when it became half-way full

These journals are very useful. For example you need to remember someone phone number six months after you met them. Or you need to write self-evaluation at the end of the year. You will definitely forget the details of what you were doing, unless you write them down.

Sounds like a fine project, Chisel.

Long time no blog ...

By mistake I have deleted a folder that contained files and videos about prepping, bushcraft and stuff. Can't get them back. As if this corona stuff is not enough. Grrrr

Several issues are brewing in my head.
One son working in another town, and we are thinking whether he should get an unpaid vacation to stay with us until the CV mess is over.

Daughter is a doctor. CV is all around her. I thought that mothers are the softer species, but dads are also soft when their kids are so close to danger.

Trying to engrave the prepping mentality in their heads ASAP without freaking them out or looking like paranoid.

I used to worry about looking like a paranoid, but my wife observed that the ship had already sailed.

Took off a lot of pressure.

This reminds me of when our house flooded and I had the correct homeowners insurance rider. One of my relatives said, "That was lucky!" No, it wasn't.

Very few people believe in planning ahead.

There are increasing signs of people getting depressed for being locked down in their homes. Some are depressed for not being able to 'have fun' any more. No cafe, no playground ..etc. But on the other hand, some glimmer of hope appears among this pessimistic atmosphere.

In our corner of the world, a guy (calls himself Ghaith), travels around the region, finding cases of the poorest of the poor, the most unfortunate , the most needy , and offers them help. He never showed his face (shown from the back always).

As great his work is , some episodes have shown even greater souls out there. One of them is a very old Egyptian doctor who devoted his life to help the poorest of the poor, and the needy in his area.

Ghaith and his team tried to have an interview with this elderly doctor, but he refused. Finally they had to trick him by calling him to help someone. After some talk, Ghaith asked him to accept a large sum of money to build a better clinic in a 'better ' area. Doctor refused and suggested the money goes to charity, saying that he does not need much to live. He lives on a few sandwiches, as he said. He added that he prefers to stay where he is in that area because he wants to live among the poor whom he is helping. All he accepted from Ghaith was a new stethocope, but refused anything else.

TV program interviewed a few patients who explained they cannot afford medical bills and the cost of extensive anlyses. Then showed the doctor examining samples under a very old microscope, saying that he saves the patients money by doing whatever tests he can by himself.

Guys !!
There is still alot of beauty in the world.
A lot of hope, and many decent people out there.

Indeed, there's still much good in the world! Thanks for shining a light on some of it, Chisel.

The other thread ( what have you done to prep today ) made me think about some dilemmas that affects decision making

My philosophy on tools is buying mostly manual tools. Only power tools I have are 3 drills and two saws ( one is a jigsaw, and one circular saw that I got as a gift).

This philosophy has been proven over time, again and again. It makes me happy to see that I was right in more than one occasion. Hand tools gives me much needed excercise, and there are other benefits.

On the other hand, aging and multiple health issues (including arthritis) makes power tools more attractive. Time to time, I have to go through the same arguments. But most of the time, the original philosophy wins.

Two months ago, I bought a multitool. It isn't the typical Leatherman-like multitool. Rather it is about a foot long, and designed as a combination of three pairs of pliers and a hammer-head. It became handy in a project I was doing in the garden ...

This picture shows the third pliers jaw in the top, as well as the nail puller within the 2nd pliers jaw

BTW, the one I bought is only a clone
Around $ 10

Adds capabilty and versatility to the "mobile tool kit" that I take around , from my daughter apartment to my son's room in the other town. These multitools help solve the many unexpected challenges during DIY jobs.

I have a weird love of tools!

As a certified gadget lover, that looks intriguing....Source??

Just search Google: Elora 493-1 Multi-Tool

fencing pliers

I am a fan of fencing pliers Because they have the pointy part on the back for pulling staples, and the crimping jaws for twisting barbed wire and attaching battery cable lugs,

And it looks more tomahawkish.

I follow the "cool tools" page and webcast for their suggestions on interesting/ excellent tools.

We all have our unusual interests. I like first aid and well-designed pre-made survival kits. The pre-made kit must be well-designed, and in my opinion, only two of them have reached the zenith of their respective categories: the PSP and SEVENTY2. I bought one of each.

Jeanette Isabelle

One of the most interesting tool I have bought is a multitool of another kind. I am technologically challenged and do not know how to post a foto, but I'll try to describe it as close as possible.

Looks like a balisong.

OK. The multitool that I have is essentally a butterfly knife

However, the knife is sort of a "full tang" knife. Meaning that it has another half on the other side, and that other half is a multitool. To visualize it, look at the two pictures and merge them into one tool : knife on one side, multitool on the other, and you can fold the handle to cover this one or that one.

The multitool I have is a bit different. It is as thick as the knife. It has a saw back, a serratic edge, a few nut drivers, a mini prybar, and nail puller.

Nice tools man!

I have learnt a few things and grown wiser since my teen years, but a few illogical things still stick from those younger years. One of them is the (Superheros). I have no clue why we still hang to stuff that we know is fiction.

I like Mon El and Ultraboy
For some logical reasoning I never liked the Fat Boy who turns into a ball !!!

Got really disturbing news in our corner of the world.
A guy and his wife went out shopping for their new home. When they returned, they saw 4 of their kids stabbed to death, and the fifth hanged !!!!

(kids are in college and high school age)

Needless to say, everyone around is shocked.
We live about 100 miles away, and we are really upset.

Investigation is still on, but rumors say the oldest boy did it , and hanged himself. They're saying he was under the influence of a famous computer game that induces the urge to murder and suicide. If this was the real reason of the crime, it gives a lot of food for thought. We usually prep for loss of job, or being lost in the desert, but not for losing our family because of a game.

Very disturbing indeed.

This is very sad news. I cannot imagine what they must be going through.



A famous writer claims that violent video games desensitize people to violence. As a peaceable person who enjoys violent video games, I researched this claim. The evidence at broad scale suggests the opposite is more likely to be true. I cannot rule out the possibility that someone with major underlying mental health issues might be badly affected by something like that however.

Is the role of a "famous computer game" definitely determined, or is this just a hypothesis (speculation)?

It is too early to be sure of anything.
Only rumors and "people saying" at this stage.

But it is scary howsoever way it turns out.

I wonder if the year 2020 has tested us enough !!!

In February and March I saw a few jokes and black humour about 2020
One of them said :

FOR SALE.
Almost new, only two months old
And has a unique number.

That was before Corona decided to get serious

Mom and I are prepping for September.

Jeanette Isabelle

I was going through some natural views here and there; mountains, valleys, deserts ..etc. And I saw a rock divided into two. I mean really divided , like it has been done with a ruler and a saw.

Looks like some really old people were trying to cut the rock for some reason. Cannot be natural.

https://www.facebook.com/1806428873014320/posts/2281209465536256/

Here's another link

http://99wow.blogspot.com/2019/02/tayma-megalith-is-it-split-by-laser-beam.html

It is fascinating indeed.

LOL, Jeanette_Isabelle

It was only January then. Now we know what 2020 was hiding for us.
Let's hope 2021 is , well, a less challenging year.

Today's post is about young guys, and not-so-young guys.

In our youth, we take things for granted and may abuse our selves with junk food, unhealthy life style, modern comforts, and the clock keeps ticking. Until one day we realize we have a health issue, then another, then another. And we are trapped.

During my career years I was occupied with with running family life , just like any husband/father. While I was no fan of junk food restaurants, I was big consumer of instant tea and instant coffee, in addition to working in a hectic manner that dictated I ate more processed and packaged snacks and much less natural foods. The years crawled, and my weight built up slowly but steadily. But in those years, I only cared about paying the house loan before retiring, plus other similar issues.

Then one day, I was diagnosed with diabetes. Fast forward, I had cholesterol. My medicine drawer became more crowded. Later, I got a few joint problems followed by osteoarthritis in the knee. Last but not least. Prostate.

Searching You tube channels, I stumbled over a few that gave great info for a layman like me. Dr. Berg, among a few others explained that current medical practice often focuses on resolving issues without digging deep enough for the causes and eliminating them. He said , for example, that cholesterol is a natural chemical in the body and lowering it with Astatene medication will cause Testosterone hormone to be lowered also, which in turn will exaggerate prostate problem or contribute to it. Then again, instead of finding the root causes of prostate enlargement, we just take medications and spend the rest of our lives dependent on them. You just skip a pill or two and the urinary tract is closed again.

Dr. Berg suggested to take more zinc and magnesium in the form of pumpkin seeds. That will help boost testosterone and mitigate the prostate gland enlargement.

He also said that the central cause of all these problems (cholestrol and prostate) are actually insulin resistance which should be addressed by keto diet (or low carb) and intermittent fasting.

OK. I was desperate enough to take his advice, among other doctors. So since mid December, I stopped taking anything that tasted sweet, including fruit. I bought a heap of pumkin seeds (which I love by the way) and start eating daily. I stopped the Astatene medication ( will definitely have cholestrerol tests later, but now I am focused on the prostate). Can't spend the rest of my life so dependent on medication even to pee normally

A few weeks down the road, (good/bad) luck struck to test what I was doing. One of my prostate medications was not available, so I was taking one only. This was great for testing if I was still dependent on pills for the frequent bathroom visits. Well, turned out they were not that bad. Not completely normal, but not restricted like before. It was encouraging. "luck" struck again. This month both medications came a few days late. And I managed being without medications for 2 days. Seems to be working.

I will continue this treatment, along with zinc and magnesium supplements , and next move will be to fight my weight and lose as much of it as I can. Losing weight will surely tip the scale against diabetes and cholesterol. I have already moved from diabetic to pre-diabetic

THIS POST IS NOT FOR GIVING MEDICAL ADVICE.

The purpose of this post is an advice for younger folks to be careful about their lifestyles. You will not remain young. And the better you treat your body in your younger years, your body will remain healthier in your senior years.

Do not wait until it is too late , or very late.
Believe me, I felt trapped. For example, to lose weight, I had to walk and exercise. But osteoarthritis made walking painful. Also, many workouts (like squats) are not knee-friendly.

So, do not wait until health issues surround you from all directions. Eat healthy food; as much unprocessed, natural food as you can. If you are fit, stay fit. If you are overweight, do not wait until you are both overweight AND OLD. The more health issues you allow, the more bitter the battle will be.

Stay safe, stay healthy
Make your senior years as healthy as your younger ones.

When prepping is not a good idea

As per prepping protocols , we should have extra food, extra batteries ..etc. However, sometimes we may find out it was not a good idea to store these extras.

A few years back, I almost lived in my home office (man cave) in the first floor of our house. Health issues like knee problems forced me to stay down in the ground floor and utilize a corner as my office. That kept me away from my smaller workshop (in the office), medium workshop (another room upstairs) , main workshop (second floor) and all the prepping stuff scattered in them : from batteries , office supplies, stoves, tools, and anything in between.

Last week, my son had something broken in his car, and I suggested he go up and take some epoxy glue to fix it. He brought it but the glue was spoiled. Summer heat has turned the deserted office room into an oven. I went up there the next morning to collect (recue?) a few things like batteries, pens, glue ..etc. I just couldn't stay there for long enough. At 5 am, the temp was 50 C (120 F).

The result : pens' ink dried. Glue oozed out of tube and turned into a hardened mass (mess). Batteries oozed out and were useless.

This was not the first time. And I decided not to give in to 'good deals', rather I should buy items as need dictates.

I was touring youtube and social media and reading some people comments. They were miscellaneous pages like : gardening, animal life, economic news, TV drama and the like.

It is a sure thing that people will give different and maybe clashing opinions in subjects like "who is the more beautiful actress" to "whom to blame in this situation". However, the level of disagreement escalating to ugly levels makes one think deeply. If this happens while watching something on the screen, I wonder what might happen in real-life SHTF scenario.

Morning is my favourite time of the day. It's the time I can be myself, acting as I please without raising anyone's eyebrows. LOL

You may call it OCD, or wisdom, but I like to find a use for most things instead of wasting them. So, when I boil two eggs for my breakfast I utilize the boiling water before throwing it. If it is winder like these days, I leave it to cool in the kitchen, thus transferring the heat into the kitchen microclimate instead of going in the drain. If it is summer, however, I look in the sink, and sure enough , someone ate something and left the dishes there. So, I pour the hot water in those pans and dishes and leave them soak and that helps clean them.

After everyone wakes up, it's another story. LOL

But on the serious side, it makes me wonder about different people in stressful times, or SHTF. Imagine you give someone a candle in a blackout, they leave it burning even after power is restored. They are in party mood and won't listen to a sermon about "a cheap candle".

One of the happy moments of handyman life is when you make a little gadget in your workshop, and makes a difference in your next projects.

A few weeks ago, I was watching an Egyptian carpenter on Youtube and he showed a little piece of wood that he said makes sawing much easier. So, I went ahead and made one, and it was really useful.

You take a piece of plywood about 8x8 inches. On one edge, you nail/screw a 1" wood strip along that edge, and then do the same on the opposite edge, except you nail/screw it on the other side of the plywood. It looks like a flattened Z letter.

How is this useful ?
When you want to saw a narrow piece of wood, you put it on a bench or sawhorse and start sawing. You immediately notice that it is hard to control the piece you are sawing and hold it in place. Instead, you put this gadget on the table edge, so that the bottom wood strip catches the bench edge, and put the piece of wood in a way that it is held by the far (upper) strip , and start sawing. It is stuck in its place and won't move.

Definitely makes life easy.

With every looming crisis, the same question rises : how much prepping is needed. When Covid started , I already had several boxes of face masks (used for workshop, possible sandstorms, or general safety situations). I went haead and bought several dozens of additional boxes. Now that Covid is almost gone in my corner of the world, I still have dozens of boxes unused.

Now we are facing inflation, and I feel the urge to stockpile stuff, from tuna cans to vehicle engine oil and spare parts (air filters ..etc.). But I am not sure how many, and how much

The same has happened with the normal EDC items. Sometimes I like a knife or a flashlight ..etc. so I buy 2 or 3. Years pass and technology changed everything, so I had to throw away several unused flashlights because they are pre-LED technology and not as energy efficient as the newer models. On the other hand, I bought other stuff and later regretted not buying more of. One example is the current companion bag that I cannot go anywhere without. I bought it for approximately US$ 5-6 , and the store had 4 of them. Now after so many years, I really wish I bought all 4 of them. They were so cheap , so light, and so space-efficient.

So, the same question goes and comes back. How much prepping is OK.

Let's hope and pray that these supply chain and inflation mess doesn't stay with us for long.

This is a problem we all face to one degree or another. I generally tend to stockpile items that ar versatile and broadly useful.

You mention flashlights. I have no regrets investing in improved technology. I am very happy with my current flashlight/headlamp assortment, many ties more useful than the POS headlamp (incandescent bulb, carbon/zinc batteries), dim and unreliable, that I used to fight wildfires years ago.

Hi, I'm chaosmagnet, and I'm a flashaholic.


--- Hi chaosmagnet!


I tend to buy flashlights because I want them, and then find some that I don't want any more and give it away.

Hi, I'm chaosmagnet, and I'm also addicted to radios.


--- Hi chaosmagnet!


For radios and accessories, I'm more likely to keep those. I have given away some to my kids (I now have two kids with ham radio licenses). While I haven't tracked it carefully, I'm probably spending about as much on both, by which you should understand I have a lot more flashlights than radios and radio gear.

Last two days I have been watching You Tube videos about stock investment. One of them explained "value" stocks: they are stocks traded at less than their real value, and you buy them knowing they are a bargain. The guy gave an example of stocks being sold at the beginning of Covid problem in 2020 when most people were on the pessimistic side

This added a twist to the above question
It made me wonder if it was more prudent to take advantage of the looming crisis to buy as many stocks as I could, instead of face masks and cans of tuna.

This actually summarizes the difference of my lifestyle compared to that of my older brother.

First, Chaos, you must free yourself from the prison of your addictions. PM me and I'll give you an address to send all of your flashlights and radios to.

Only then shall you be free of this burden.

p.s. We may have to do this cure repeatedly over the years, but I'll be there for you.

You're a good friend. Too good, actually, for me to burden you this way. I'll have to tough it out.

LOL

I do have older (non-LED) flashlights that would keep
They are cleverly designed to work as battery-operated 'candles'
The head can be screwed/unscrewed to change the lens focus , but when you unscrew the head all the way , it comes off.

The head can be fitted on the other end of the flashlight as a base. This allows the flashlight to stand up, and the light bulb is exposed, so it looks and lights similar to a candle.

I have two of these and they are kept as a backup for LED flashlights

I am not a tech person. So, I don't know much about what media and technology can or cannot do. But there are many stories around about ads or articles popping up in front of you to make you feel superstitious. Like once I was in need of some shoes or sandals and the next few weeks I have seen more shoes ads for a lifetime.

This time it was more weird.
My wife was watching some TV, and in the background was a song. She said something about that lady singer. The next few days I saw and read three articles about that singer who is now in her eighties. One of them said that she has a 60 years old handicapped son, and she is still taking care of him.

I don't know if it was a coincidence, but three times is hard to swallow as a coincidence.

Do you have any of the following:

• A home assistant device, like those made by Amazon or Google
• A smartphone running a social media app
• Any other software that connects to a microphone on a device and is owned by a company that derives its income from advertising

If you do, that's likely why the targeted advertising was mentioning those things to you.

Chaosmagnet has it right. Personally, I find it creepy as hell.

Yep, Google,Amazon,Microsoft,Apple,Facebook, some smart tv's, etc have all been known to listen to the microphone for key words to deliver advertising.

You know, it really calls for some creative pushback against the new "Man." What's Klingon for "I need new flip-flops!"?

can't spell it out without breaking forum rules but any time my wife leaves her phone sitting I pick it up and say "redacted" to it hoping it will gear and toss out some related ads

Well... here is a site for the 'flip flops'

https://www.cafepress.com/+star-trek-klingon+flip-flops

Haha, awesome!

An algorithm? YouTube is bad about spying on people. I was thinking about applying for ALONE (100 days away from people? Sign me up) and it bombarded me with clips from the show for weeks. Watched a few Pawn Stars clips and for months now I open YouTube and I have a clip waiting. I agree, it's creepy at times. I also get onto a lot of sites that won't let you proceed without accepting cookies. Even some places that sell blade steel are doing it I just back away and find another site

Well, it is a typical home.
Smart phones are all over the place. Kids are going around with smart phones, tablets or iPads.
Smart Tv is in the center of the house, and Netflex or similar are running all the time.

And yes, bell rings alot with delivery vans bringing stuff from Amazon ..etc.
So, kids are super busy ordering stuff of all kinds.

Maybe I should talk about my favorite stuff (tools, bushcraft kits, etc) and have them pop up more frequently. LOL.
And as a bonus, maybe the kids will hear me, and surprize me with some gifts. LOL.

QUICKSTUDY REFERENCE GUIDES

https://www.barcharts.com/products/reference-study-guides/

Absolutely no affiliation whatsoever.

I have bought some of these and put them in a 3-ring binder, along with other similarly condensed collections of knowledge, or infographs. It is like having a complete bookshelf in a binder. Can be very helpful for the prepper, homesteader, handyman or homeowner. Can help you in many ways from doing carpentry projects, to home-schooling.

All subjects are available, from first aid, nursing, psychology, trigonometry, geometry , weights and measures, you name it. Very valuable source of quick info at your finger tips.

Again, no affiliation. Just a satisfied customer.

and thought to share with you all.

Those do look very handy! Thanks.

Is society sinking too deep in technology ???

The other day my wife was tired and I thought to bring lunch from a nice restaurant. The road there was unfortunately dug up for some work and I had to take several detours to reach the restaurant. When I entered, I asked for the menu/price list, and the guy pointed to a QR Code, I asked if he had a 'regular menu', and he said NO.

I was beyond frustrated.
OK, I am not a cave man, but come on. What is wrong with having a regular menu on the wall for example ?? I understand that after COVID, they may not want people to touch paper menus , but this is taking it to the next level. They still have many options IN ADDITION to QR code.

Long story short, I left, and will not go there again. Never.

OK, I confess, I don't feel comfortable with technology. I admire the achievements and do utilize technical stuff, but psychologically feel more comfortable around older familiar stuff.

This maybe funny
We installed security cameras in front of the house. And my son has installed the software in my tablet, which sits on my desk. Yesterday I needed to check if my son had come back home, so I went outside to the street to see his car. LOL. I could have looked within the Tablet App to see his car through the camera.

Old man brain cells

Been watching views from the earthquake in Turky and Syria.
One little girl (maybe 4, alive) was pinned under rubble with her baby brother (looks like less than 1, also alive). There was several others for people pinned under rubble, One father was there holding his daughter's hand and never letting go, although she was dead. He was waiting for workers who, understandably, prioritizing the ones who could be alive.

Two scenes were thought provoking. People were pinned under the rubble. Rescue needs time and patience. But they are thirsty. You have the water, but how can they drink in their positions? One volunteer was pouring water in the bottle cap as a makeshift cup and giving it to the victim.

I wonder if straws would be useful in such situations.

There's no one size fits all tool for this, but a hydration bladder with its hose and mouthpiece might be close.

Thanks. Good idea
I was actually thinking about the hygeine of bladders or bottles

Last few days I put a bottle nearby on the desk and started drinking from it straight instead of using a glass, It kept me wondering if that bottle is becoming a bacteria incubator. Same applies to hydration bladders. I am not thinking about emergency situations like a quake, but regular use for hikers..etc. So, for those who use bladders or drinking bottles how do you clean them , especially they have narrow mouths.

Another subject

I have been watching a local drama called (Diary of a General Manager). A guy takes the position of general manager of an organization to clean the rampant corruption. Every episode he focuses on corruption in an area (warehouse, transportation dept & garage, purchasing department ..etc.) and tries to clean it up. In the process he wears makeup that covers his real identity (getting expert help from his friend, who is a movie producer). So, sometimes he is a coffee boy, sometimes a car mechanic..etc. It is a beautiful drama/comedy but sadly ends up with him resigning and quitting the struggle.

It is not related to prepping but reminded me of the continuous struggle you face if you try to live your life clean and straight.

One of the saddest, and in fact frustrating, part of it is that his wife was repeatedly, though unintentionally, almost sabotaging his work. Sometimes she is doubting him having an affair, or nagging him about 'helping' the husband of her sister, who is another corrupt contractor.

This made me think alot about minding your own business, prepping and striving to build a better future for your family, but the surrounding circumstances and people around you keep reversing your gears intentionally or otherwise.

Camelbak makes cleaner tablets, though most people say they can use standard household products.
One of the things I do is store my bladder in the freezer. I'll fill it about 1/3 full and lay it flat so I have a big ice block top to bottom when I take it out. It will keep the other 2/3 water cold for hours but also helps prevent anything from growing in it so I don't have to clean as often.

I start with clean water, and on a hot day I'll fill the bladder first with ice cubes and then with water.

When I get home I'll rinse the bladder out thoroughly with clean water and then make sure it dries completely. I do that by dumping out all the water, hanging it open upside down, and then cleaning out the water that gathers near the opening. Once that's done I will stuff a clean paper towel up into it to allow air circulation. Part of this process involves taking the mouthpiece off and allowing plenty of clean water through the tube before hanging it up.

Using Camelbak bladders containing only clean water and always put away clean and dry, I've never had a problem with any visible bacteria or musty tasting water.

It is safe to assume that most of you, if not all, are handy and have a decent collection of tools. So, this is a quick note if you are planning to buy a hand saw in the near future. The saw handle of many recent models has a square shape, with 90 and 45 angles. So, you can use the saw handle if your square isn't around

I'll post a picture of a random model that has this feature.

All of my saws are Silky.

Silky are great. But my point is the handle design.
It features and edge at 90 degrees, and another at 45 degrees.
So, you can use the saw handle and saw spine as a square.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggZ-OqiEWuM

Yeah, I didn't mean that as a criticism, more like "I need to have tools for more than just camping."