Leaderboard

"Never let a crisis go to waste" It just worked too good the last time to let it go

I've got a #### ton of men's clothes that are (ahem) too small for me. Many of them still have the store tag on them, never been worn. Pants & shirts. For people whom have nothing now, it might make a difference between giving up or not, IMO. I also encourage others to donate dishes, shoes, anything they can. I've worked recovery efforts before & it's unreal the daily use items we take for granted until we no longer have them.

Wind and rain in Biloxi right now, but I don't perceive hurricane tropical storm impact. Seems more like heavy rain storms. Staff at Merit Health Biloxi is top notch!!!

I thought this was a joke when I first saw it but it comes from Accuweather and is sometimes used by FEMA. What is the Waffle House Index? https://www.accuweather.com/en/accuweather-ready/what-is-the-waffle-house-index/667995

Wikipedia, what next, snopes???

I'm not a member of Twitter or Facebook. But, it sure don't take much to get banned. Just tell the truth.

Local news, ankle deep water at the Hard Rock, some casino garages are flooding, we're safe.

It's not hard. If you can follow basic directions, run a trencher (or operate a sharpshooter shovel) and do basic plumbing no more complex than gluing and screwing fittings together, you can install sprinklers, especially the types used in the typical suburban yard. I've put several together, albeit on large athletic fields, some of which involved running new water mains, installing multiple valves, timers and sensors, as well as large pressure pumps to operate high pressure systems. Doing a yard might be somewhat labor intensive, depending on how well-equipped one is, but most of the stuff you can beg, borrow, rent or steal to get the job done ...

Depending on how the actual ban is worded, that can be more difficult than it sounds. For example, the original ban on Russian/Soviet made milsurps forbade any country from selling these into the US unless they had been in that country's possession for a minumum of 5 years. Even then certain types of firearms got a permanent ban from importation from anywhere. Storing large quantities of ammunition can be cost prohibitive, especially when these calibers often sell quickly in other parts of the world for cash, no questions asked. The Russian ammo manufacturers won't suffer in the slightest, they will simply market their wares to areas where bans and other pesky intrusions don't effect them, there are many cash and carry markets available for both CommBlock and NATO calibers worldwide. In any case, the actual ban is for renewal of import licenses and won't take effect for a year or more, much can happen in the ensuing interval ...

Regardless of the vaccination, anyone should stay home if you are sick. Vaccinated people can still transmit the china virus

Re-bag it, like War Dogs, just don't forget to pay the bag man and his minions!

https://merrileebeazley.org/army-doctor-reveals-more-soldiers-have-died-from-the-vaccine-than-died-from-covid/ https://rumble.com/vkopys-a-pathologist-summary-of-what-these-jabs-do-to-the-brain-and-other-organs.html https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-28/antibodies-waning-the-immune-system-has-a-backup-plan-for-that https://www.bitchute.com/video/D6fH9ZDrbRF8/ https://americasfrontlinedoctors.org/ http://www.smithmundt.com/

I’m thinking small denomination WalMart, Ace Hardware, or Dollar Store gift cards would travel and disperse easily, and could really be useful.

Selco had some good advice in his early postings... funny, I just shared it (and re-read) with a friend... https://lulz.com/surviving-a-year-of-shtf-in-90s-bosnia-war-selco-forum-thread-6265/ Link was literally still in my clipboard! Bic lighters... who knew!

You don't walk away from the poker table when you're winning

Can someone give me an example of gun violence? I know what violence with a gun is. Someone can be violent with a gun, but gun violence is implying the gun acting on it's own and that I have never seen or heard of.

I'm in Biloxi right now at the hospital, Sharon is not quite ready to travel yet. Sunny with cloud cover due south into the gulf (she has a room with a view)

Also most who get COVID are not dying.

That’s a pretty disingenuous statement considering (1) neither the vaccine nor the virus have been around long enough to know long term effects, (2) the vast majority of people that have come down with either of the COVID variants never need hospitalization, vaccinated or not. At this point it appears that those that are predisposed to have a bad outcome with COVID have a much better chance of survival if they get the vaccine, but that is not the majority of people. Since we now know that the vaccine does not protect the vaccinated from catching or spreading COVID, it is hard to justify the lengths that are being taken to force or shame those that do not want the vaccine to get it.

Ch 4 news just said a man walked into funeral homes & paid for the funerals. No name given.

My yard is brown as Granny's biscuits.

For almost everyone, bugging in is going to be better than bugging out. Even city-dwellers are usually going to be better off staying put. You know the area and have some semblance of a support structure through neighbors. Plus survival gear and all the crap you get stored up is hard to move and harder to defend on the move. That's not to say that the time to "git out" wouldn't come, but it probably shouldn't be most folk's first option. Remember that those hills and mountains everyone plans to run to already have people living there who likely won't take too kindly to a horde of newcomers. For bugging in plans - the best place to start is in your own home and pantry. Also start small. Don't try to plan for the end of the world if you can't get through 3 days without electricity. This is a gun forum, so I'll assume you have security covered. For food, the trick is to get a rotation going. Storing 500 cans of SPAM when you don't eat SPAM is just going to end up with 500 old cans of SPAM when disaster never strikes. Likewise 500 cans of hard red winter wheat from the local LDS cannery won't do you any good if you don't know how to prepare it. Instead look at what you actually eat, especially shelf-stable items like canned & jarred goods and pasta. Then start building up that supply. e.g. Instead of having 2 or 3 boxes of spaghetti on hand, maybe you get 10 or 20 to start with. As you use a few boxes, buy some to replace them and put the new ones at the back of the pile. A vacuum sealer (like FoodSaver) is also a good thing to get started with. You can buy some items in bulk like rice and divide it into smaller bags you seal up. That's a good place to start. Then you can start looking at the more extreme things like MREs, mylar bags with O2 absorbers, and those cans of hard red winter wheat. For non-food, think about what you'd need for an extended camping trip and start there. Proper clothing and footwear for everyone. Tools and skills to make a fire. A good first aid kit and knowledge of how to use it (you probably don't need an AED, but something more than Band-Aids is a good idea) Some emergency "space" blankets. Street and topography maps of the area, a compass, and knowing how to use them. Flashlights/headlamps and extra batteries. Maybe a solar charger for small electronics like one from GoalZero. A hand-cranked water filter or something like the Sawyer mini filters. A camp stove and fuel. Or if you have a propane grill, keep an extra tank on hand. An extra bag or two of charcoal. Do some thinking about bugging out too if the time comes. Ask questions like where would you go? Would you be welcomed there? How would you get there? Are there bridges or other features that make a funnel for thieves or worse? Can you avoid those points? Can you plan multiple routes? How much fuel do you need to make the journey? As for your questions: Canning: Yes, a pressure canner can be used for pretty much anything. A water bath process should only be used for high-acid foods like fruits and some veg but never for meat. Most (all?) the info in the Ball canning book is also on their website: https://www.freshpreserving.com/canning.html Hunting: TWRA Hunter ed site: https://www.tn.gov/twra/hunting/hunter-education.html Water: Water is going to be a challenge for most of us. Few people have the ability to store large quantities safely. Instead, look at what you need to get through a normal disruption for a few days or a week, then plan on a way to replenish the supply. Again, start small. I always have a few cases of bottled water on hand that we cycle through, plus I have a couple of Aquatainers for camping that I keep full year-round at the house. That's enough for just me and my wife for any normal disruption to service, plus we'll have the water heater and toilet tanks too for anything a little longer if we can't drive out to get more. For a true TEOTWAWKI, we'll have to make it up a bit as we go along. I'm a camper so I have water filtration and UV devices and there's a river 1/4 mile from the house. Schlepping water up from there won't be fun, but it's doable. A hand truck or wagon will help. If you can have a well dug, that's the best long-term supply. A pump can be solar powered or you can get a hand pump. Another option some people do a rain water catchment system using rain barrels or the big plastic cubes. This water MUST be filtered/treated. Generator: For sizing a generator you need to decide what you want to power with it, how long you want to run it, where you'll be running it, and what kind of fuel you want to store. Start with sizing. Kw Size: A small 2Kw generator is plenty for a few lights (esp. LED bulbs), a TV, computer, and a fridge. You'll need bigger if you plan to power your HVAC, microwave, electric stove, electric water heater, clothes dryer, etc. Look at the labels on each one and it will show you the power required. Add up all the ones you'd want to run AT THE SAME TIME and that's your requirement. Note that generators are sold with labels of their peak output, not running steady output. Physical size: Portability and storage should be considered. They'll range from ~25lbs and the size of a large cantaloupe for a 1Kw up to tractor-trailer-sized for the big industrial ones. I have a Honda EU6500 that's easy to wheel around the garage, but at 253 lbs. without fuel, it's a struggle for 2 capable men to put in a pickup truck if I have to take it anywhere. If I had it to do over (and I may still do it) I'd get a ~50 lb. 2Kw set like a Generac iQ or Honda EU2000 or EU2200 and maybe get a second one capable of being tethered together to do ~4Kw. Noise: May or may not be a concern for you. If you're on a 100 acre farm, you can worry about the noise less than if you're in a tightly packed neighborhood. Inverter generators are quieter and safer for sensitive electronics. Honda's EU series has been the gold standard for a very long time, but gennys from Yamaha and the new iQ line from Generac are every bit their equal at a lower cost. You'll find more support for Honda though because there are so many. Fuel: Gasoline is the easiest, especially on the smaller-sized gennys but it's harder to store a lot of it without it going bad. If you have natural gas or propane at your house, you can find tri-fuel gennys or conversion kits for the most popular brands like Honda. Propane and natural gas burn cleaner than gasoline so less maintenance/gummed up carbs, but they're also hotter and some gennys can't take it. You'll find lots of genny advice on RV forums. The big gennys usually run on diesel. I haven't seen any small home-owner grade ones running on diesel. Don't forget to have a heavy chain and good lock to secure it. Get some of those basics down, then you'll start thinking about longer term stuff like gardening, coordinating with nearby like-minded friends & neighbors, and communications (HAM radio is still a thing . . . It's kind of like hunting - no license needed if there ain't no government left ). Then you may or may not move on to the more dedicated prepper world like bunkers, hydroponics, aquaculture, etc. But that's only for kooks . . . . until it isn't. Something often overlooked in our consumer-driven world is skills vs. supplies. If King Monkeylizard the Great of Fortress Apocalypto has to choose between letting in an empty handed but skilled engineer or letting in a doofus with a truck load toilet paper, well....let's just say I'll have a good engineer and a lot of toilet paper. We like to think we can buy a bucket of food from Wise, stick it in the closet, and "hooray! we're safe from Zombies!". Think about the kinds of skills that would be useful and start trying to learn them, and use them as a way of life if possible. It doesn't have to be the end of mankind for those skills to payoff. Maybe learn to reload ammo. Canning is a good skill and you get to have healthier food for your family year round. Knowing how to wire up solar panels and batteries is useful and something you may be able to use on a mission trip or something. Make some new friends in the amateur radio world. Know how to repair a car. Medical skills are always useful.

Going to get my Deer Rifle out and sighted in for deer season. May take a poke at one this year. If not, will enjoy sighting in the rifle.

I'm getting tired (tarred?) of moving sprinklers around my lawn. I'm interested in finding a sprinkler installer in the Crossville area (I live in the sticks of Crab Orchard) but my internet searches don't turn up much nearer than Knoxville. That's be fine if I can get someone to come all the way out here, but I wonder if any of our knowledgeable and helpful members know of a reliable installer nearby. Gracias!

Most of the manufacturers have good, free planning tools, too. You can do the design on a great system and then install it in whole or in parts.

I wish they could get him to sign a ban on wokeness. Just put it on his desk. He'll sign it.

The China Virus strains mutate, just like Flu. That's the problem with the jab. It might work for awhile, then bam, here's something new. Also the masks, if a fart can get through underwear and pants........

Colt Pocketlite for me when I carried a 380. Worked fine for years. Edited to add; never felt totally comfortable armed with the 380.

We grow corn so.....

That's a pretty accurate picture of what the streets of Chicago look like in MY mind, too. Although there would be piles of bleeding bodies. I visited Chicago many years ago and the hotel I stayed in, a Holiday Inn had barbed wire topping the fence around the parking lot. I have no desire for a return visit.

If I didn't already have my LCP I would choose a 9 mm. I frequently carry a P938.

The market will adjust over time. Steel cased was over priced in market already. I'm set for ammo for the foreseeable future but I did pay higher than I liked for most of my 7.62x39. i have 3k of Russian steel case and 1.5k of Norma tactical brass. If the brass is only .15 more than the steel case I'd buy the brass.

Be safe @A.J. Holst

Well, I was thinking this idea of Biden’s of banning Ammo imports was sure to spread. Maybe even spread to firearms…..you know, to place further limits on availability. I’m sure glad there is nothing to worry about.

Ya'll, I went over there today to help out. An old college friend pastors a church there now. I flooded in 2010 in Nashville. . . This is so much worse. Or maybe because I was so focused on my own house in 2010 that I didn't see the big picture then. Shoot....folks were cooking great lunches at the entrance to my neighborhood in 2010 and I didn't know about it until a month later. I was nothing but rear-end and elbows in my house from sunup to midnight for weeks. I know some people in Nashville had a lot of water flowing through their homes, but most of us experienced a slow rise and then fall. These people had a river dropped on them. Houses (real houses...not just mobile homes) lifted off the foundations and sent down the street before hitting something big enough to stop them. Masonry walls blown out the backside of homes and business and churches. Businesses the local community relies on for daily needs, wiped out. The cars stacked up, overturned, and rolled over. Independent local businesses, and thus livelihoods, destroyed alongside the homes of the people who run those businesses. It's hard to find someone who didn't know someone who lost their life in this mess. The whole town is incredibly heartbreaking. They have a crap-ton of supplies. We laughed that they'll have enough bottled water to refill the city swimming pool and enough Huggies for the next 3 generations. What they need is what people always need after disasters . . . people with strong backs willing to get dirty. If you have the ability and willingness to go, PM me and I can connect you with a local church there doing the dirty work. Note that at this point, the water in some of these houses has been standing for a week+ of 90F+ weather. Nasty stuff is starting to grow in the ones that haven't been gutted. Please wear your masks, gloves, and eye-protection inside any home. If you can stand a full Tyvek suit in this heat, it wouldn't be a bad idea. I don't know how much longer they'll be there, but nurses were giving Tetanus and Hepatitis A&B vaccines today at the Waverly First Baptist Church. Get the tetanus shot for sure if you haven't had one in the last 10 years. Hep A&B should only be needed for folks who had contact with flood waters, but sewage backed up into many of these homes so it may not be a bad idea either.

Imported ammo has not been banned. Just the stuff from Russia.

You got me there boss. I surely thought it would.

Yep. And now trying to force those very same vaccines on kids. They really don't believe people have memories. I guess some don't.

Here's a pretty good hero from the TN flooding: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/sky-chopper-pilot-fiancee-saved-17-flood-79673384?cid=clicksource_4380645_3_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

A biophysicist told me that trying to block viruses with a mask is like trying to block mosquitoes with a chain link fence. Size matters!

Was down there for recovery operations Tuesday with our fire dept, it was amazing to see how many people came to donate and help.

When have we NOT gotten a lot of rain this year?

40 jars of canned pork tenderloin packed away now. Half as much of that in sausage.

Over 90% of hospitalizations for Covid are unvaccinated people. The vaccines work, period. There were always going to be a small number of breakthrough cases, just like there are always breakthrough cases with other vaccines like the Flu shots. Testing is not a substitute for vaccination, it is in compliment to it. I had Covid in December, nearly ended up in the hospital with breathing issues (low O2 sat) and significant fluid in my lungs. Got the vaccine in April and have been directly exposed several times since then through work without getting it. The one breakthrough case we had in the workplace did not know he was positive because he had no significant symptoms and only a mild fever one evening.

Exactly this. In 30 years, we didn't do a bunch of "run and gun". Focused on surviving a confrontation and getting back home. Likely a skill everyone could use. Plus one on Agape in my opinion. A little biased perhaps since I worked with Ken. He is a straight up guy.

Civilians, military, LEO, or competitors all start with a solid foundation of essential skills which take consideralby more time than what a ECP course requires. I wish someone would tell me just what level of training is necessary when the bad guy picks the time and place. Sure would simplify things, especially when my life or that of a loved one is on the line. Training is a process, not an endpoint.

I grew up in northeastern Okla. and we had the same trees as you. All I ever hunted small game with was a single shot Iver Johnson single shot .410 that my dad got as a well used hand-me-down around 1920. He told me that somewhere down the line, it had about 3" cut off the barrel. I concur with Luckyforward on the ammo. "For those who don't like the taste of squirrel" I didn't realize there were such people

I have a Savage .22/.410 o/u that has been my preferred squirrel gun, the .410 more than the .22. 3" shells with #6 shot always worked for me. For those who don't like the taste of squirrel, I always put them in squirrel stew.