Monday, November 29, 2021

Don't Let Big Tech Win

Hi Folks,

Big Tech has attempted to cancel me (see below for details). I lost five social media accounts and over 1,000 email subscribers to Big Tech's censorship. Since social media and my email lists are my primary means to promote my websites, losing them was a devastating blow. I am still trying to recover. That is where you come in. 

Please do me a favor and help me to rebuild my audience. Don't let Big Tech win. There are several things you can do:
  • Bookmark this website, so that you will always be able to find it.  
  • Follow by email (or refollow if you were part of the Feedburner purge) through my new list manager Follow.It - just click here or use the subscription form at the top of the right-side column.
  • Follow me through my Alt Tech social media accounts. These companies actually respect Free Speech:
            1)  Gab = @TimGamble
            2)  Minds = @TimGamble
            3)  USA.life = @TimGamble
            4)  Truth Social = (coming soon)
  • Let others know about this website. Word-of-mouth is still the best possible publicity, and something that Big Tech cannot cancel.

We all know that Big Tech is at war with Conservatives, Christians, Constitutionalists, and anyone else that doesn't share their politically-correct progressive worldview. In fact many of us have been "cancelled" by Big Tech in a wave of censorship that began in earnest in the run-up to the 2020 election, as many Trump-supporters were purged from social media. This purge continues and has been expanded to include vocal critics of lockdowns and vaccine-mandates, and anyone willing to point a finger at China for the coronavirus. And indications are that Big Tech is planning on purging critics of climate change next. 

I am part of the group that Big Tech cancelled. In a three-month period, from late October 2020 until late January 2021, I lost five of my social media accounts. In addition, Feedburner, which managed my email subscription lists for my websites, apparently purged over 1,000 of my email subscribers. I went from over 1,100 subscribers to just 96 before I realized what was happening. Feedburner is owned by Google. 

Don't let Big Tech win.

Thank you,

Timothy Gamble
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Sunday, November 28, 2021

Security Alert - Two Crime Trends To Guard Against

You need to be aware of two emerging crime trends so you can protect yourself and your family. Make sure everyone knows what to look out for and what steps to take to reduce the chances of falling victim to these crimes.

1) The Follow-Home Robbery - The Epoch Times (one of the last bastions of real journalism) is reporting on the Los Angeles Police Department's efforts to combat the rise of follow-home robberies (article). I also talked to to a police officer friend of mine here in North Carolina earlier today. He confirms that this type of robbery isn't just trending in LA or on the West Coast, but throughout the country.  

In this type of robbery, criminals (typically gang members) are staking out high-end department stores, jewelry stores, electronics stores, restaurants, and night-clubs, then following home wealthy-looking targets in order to rob them, often violently, at their house or apartment (which are typically in up-scale neighborhoods). The criminals are especially targeting women who are by themselves and elderly people, thinking these people make easier prey. 

The criminals' thought process is that customers of these establishments are very likely to be carrying cash, wearing expensive jewelry, and carrying electronics and other expensive gifts that have just bought. 

2) The Package Thief - This crime trend has really risen throughout the pandemic with the large increase in online shopping. Basically, thieves are driving around looking for packages left unattended at mailboxes and on front porches, then quickly snatching them away. Some of the more brazen thieves are actually following behind Amazon, FedEx, and other delivery trucks on their routes. 

Earlier this summer, a package thief was caught in my neighborhood (a small neighborhood about seven miles outside the town limits in a rural county in NC). The thief was a middle-aged white woman driving a new Toyota Corolla. According to the police, she had been stealing dozens of packages in this section of the county for about two weeks before she was finally caught. 

Package thieves tend to be solo acts, rather than part of a gang, and are often known by local police as career petty criminals and/or druggies supporting their habit. However, lockdowns and unemployment during the pandemic seem to have driven some desperate folks who don't fall into those categories into petty crimes as a way to make some money. 

Some Tips for Personal and Home Security
  • Awareness and Acceptance - Know that these crimes are becoming more common, and accept that they can happen even in your neighborhood, regardless of how rural or how upscale it is. 
  • Practice Situational Awareness - Situational awareness is more than just paying attention to what is going on around you, though that is an important start. It means both knowing what to look for, and how to assess (make decisions about) your surroundings. I wrote a detailed article on Situational Awareness which you should read. 
  • Always be alert to what is going on around you. Danger can pop up anywhere, quickly and unexpectedly.
  • Don't get so involved with your phone that you ignore your surroundings. Again, always be alert.
  • Shop in groups, and go home in groups if possible. The follow-up robber is targeting people, especially women, who are by themselves. 
  • Don't make yourself a target by wearing expensive, flashy clothes & accessories, or driving an expensive car. Yes, you should be able to wear or drive whatever you want, but the reality is that doing so may make you a target. 
  • Don't make yourself a target by appearing easy-prey - wear practical clothes, practical shoes, and walk confidently, with your head up, looking around..
  • Pay attention as you drive home. Does anyone seem to be following you? 
  • Look before you get out of the car when you get home. Any cars or people you don't know watching you?
  • Make sure your driveway/parking area is well-light at night. 
  • Know that a package is being delivered? Try to be home, or make sure someone else is home, to quickly take the package in. If no one can be there, ask a neighbor or friend to get the package for you. 
  • A security camera may help. Even if you can't afford one, having a security camera sign may help. 
  • A Neighborhood Watch program may help, even if it is an informal one. Retired neighbors, stay-at-home moms, and folks who work from home can keep an eye on the neighborhood safely from their living room windows. Make them aware of the need to pay attention. 
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My EDC Pocket Dump - Only Useful Items, No Gadgets!

By Tim Gamble

Watch any EDC video or read any EDC article, it seems like the list of recommended items is almost limitless. But, we can only carry so much stuff before it becomes too heavy or too bulky or too clanky. Do we really need to carry all that stuff with us at all times? Which EDC items are really the most useful? And does anyone really carry all that stuff, all the time? (I doubt it, and strongly suspect that 80% of the time what people claim to carry is greatly exaggerated.) 

Here are the items I actually carry and have found to be useful. And yes, assuming I am wearing pants, I have all these items on my person at all times. 


Let's quickly start with how I dress. I dress for practicality, not fashion or to impress others. I wear cargo pants (brands include Wrangler and Dickies), and sturdy hiking shoes (most of the time) or steel-toed work boots (depending on what I'm doing). I like cargo pants for the extra pockets (I prefer velcro over button or snap closures). 

My belt is a WYuZe Nylon Webbing Tactical Belt, and I always carry my Letherman Multi-tool (extremely useful) in its leather case on my belt. By the way, I absolutely love those belts, and have written a review of them, which you can read by clicking here.  

In my right-side cargo pocket, I carry my wallet, which is a Maxpedition Urban Wallet, which has lots of room for various cards and money. I like that it has a money pocket on the outside so that I can pull out my cash without having to take my wallet out of my pocket. I carry my small bills ($1, $5 , and $10) in the wallet's outer pocket, and my larger bills ($20 and above) in the inner pocket. 

Cash is extremely important; try to have plenty on hand. You never know when the ATMs and other computerized systems will be down, making bank, debit, and credit cards useless. 

Also in my right cargo pocket, I carry a tactical pen & some index cards.  This is useful for shopping lists, taking notes, leaving messages, and keeping up with appointments & contact information. The tactical pen I carry writes very smoothly, but I've never had to use it for self-defense.

In my left cargo pocket I carry my Samsung Galaxy phone (not pictured because I used it to take the pictures) and my reading glasses

In my left front pocket I carry some quarters, a small Bic lighter, and my car/house keys. I have a small flashlight on my key chain. 

There are lots of uses for quarters - drink & snack vending machines, pay phones (there are still a few around), change for the drive-thru, gas station air pumps, parking meters, car washes, car vacuums, coin laundries, stamp vending machines, and even the shopping carts at ALDI's. I carry a couple of dollars in quarters in my pocket, and have another few dollars worth in the cup holder of my vehicle.

In my right front pocket, I carry a folding  knife. I used to carry a Swiss Army knife, but switched to the Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops knife earlier this year, which I really like. It is not an expensive knife, but it is well-made and sharp. And it has a glass-breaker and seat-belt cutter on it. (A full review on this knife will be posted soon).

There it is - my EDC set up. No gadgets or gizmos to weigh me down. Just actually useful stuff. 

I do also have a small EDC bag which I carry with me (not on me, so it isn't true EDC). I will be doing an article on the bag and its contents soon.

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Monday, November 22, 2021

What Happens When the Food Stockpile Runs Out?

By Tim Gamble

SHTF finally happened. The grid went down. The supply chain completely broke beyond repair. Chaos, violence, and death reign in the cities and suburbs as the survivors fight over the remaining scraps, as if in some sort of brutal reality TV show. 

The good news is that your family have remained safe and well-fed, thanks to your wisdom in stockpiling lots of food and other supplies. But as the months have dragged on and on, things haven't returned to normal. The supply chain remains broken. The store shelves remain empty. And your larder, no matter how deep, is finally starting to run out. You are forced to ask the unthinkable: What happens when your food stockpile runs out? 

No matter how much food, water, medicine, and other supplies we stockpile, our supplies will eventually run out if things don't return to normal fairly soon. And the way this world is going, we may not see normal return during our lifetimes. Maybe not even within our kids' lifetimes. What then?

Here is the dirty little secret of prepping: Stockpiling food and other stuff is only a short-term fix or, with great effort and expense, a medium-term fix at best. We can buy some time by stockpiling, but that is all we are doing - buying time. We are not solving the problem. Once the larder runs empty, the real problem will become obvious.

The real problem is that we have become dependent not on ourselves, our family, and our tribe, as it was for thousands of years, but on the modern worldly system for our sustenance. 

Overseas manufacturing of basic goods, long international supply chains, just-in-time inventory systems, and lean manufacturing systems (aka just-in-time manufacturing), have replaced local economies and actual relationships. This has maximized profits for the Elites, but created a system far too fragile to handle any problems that may arise. 

"Grandma survived the great depression because her supply chain was local and she knew how to do stuff."

We don't provide for ourselves or our families anymore, and haven't in decades. Instead we depend on the fragile worldly system to do that for us. Sure, most of us work for money, but then we trade that money for goods produced half-way around the world by people who hate us. Our supply chains are no longer local, and we no longer do stuff for ourselves, and most of us don't know how to do stuff anyway. 

This leaves us vulnerable at every link of this worldly system. We need someone to employ us, which gives them power over us (take the jab or no job for you). The reality of our paycheck dwindles as inflation destroys its pretend value. We use that money to buy food to eat only if the shelves stay full, and only if they let us in (no mask, no entry, soon to be no vaccine passport, no entry). Store shelves remain full only as long as the trucks, and cargo ships, run.

Those ships and trucks need stuff to carry, which is produced mostly in far-away lands ruled by governments that don't like us (such as China). And those ships and trucks require fuel, which they don't want us to produce ourselves anymore (because "climate change"). So, we must beg people who don't like us (OPEC, Russia) to produce what we can but won't (apparently foreign oil doesn't cause climate change, or something...). 

Are you starting to see why we are having supply chain problems and high inflation? Are you starting to understand that this situation is intentional? Are you starting to understand why it won't end anytime soon?

Self-Reliance and Local Economies built around Agrarian Communities. 

The only real solution for our larders running out is a return to the old paths of self-reliance and local economies built around agrarian communities.

The time we have left before SHTF, and the time after SHTF that our food storage buys us needs to be spent preparing for what happens when the food stockpile runs out. This starts with self-reliance. Self-reliance means providing for ourselves and our families on an ongoing basis (buying food is a one-off - you eat it and its gone). 

It means raising our own food - through gardening or raising livestock (chickens, goats, etc.), and through planting fruit and nut trees, and berry bushes. This may seem easy to country folks with a bit of land (but are you doing it yet, or are you waiting for your food stockpile to run out before you learn how?). But city folk and suburbanites can do it, too. You'll be surprised how much you can grow on a small plot of land, even if its less than a quarter acre! (See my articles on City Farming and on Small Plot Gardening.) 

I recommend the books Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre and The Mini Farming Bible: The Complete Guide to Self-Sufficiency on ¼ Acre, both by Brett Markham.

It could also mean hunting, fishing, and foraging, but really this is only a supplement to your food production at best. Game will quickly become scarce once the grid goes down, like it did during the great depression. Besides, how many of us are actually good enough to provide 100% of our families food this way? 

We also need to develop relationships with farmers in our areas. Learn where the local farms are in your area. Visit the local farmers' markets. Actually shake hands with a farmer and learn his name. This is the first step to building an agrarian community. 

What is an agrarian community? Agrarianism is an economic and social philosophy which places primary importance on agriculture and related fields, and in rural living, as opposed to industrialized, urban living. I believe the agrarian lifestyle is much more conducive to living God's way rather than worldly ways. I also believe agrarianism is a healthier lifestyle, both physically and emotionally. Local economies built around agrarian communities is an absolute must for future survival. 

This is also a Biblical concept. Here is something I wrote a few years ago:

"Agrarianism is God's intent for His people. Humans were originally designed by God to live in and tend to the Garden of Eden. Later, after the Fall, we were commanded by God to till the soil and to raise our own food. Throughout the Bible, there are numerous examples of God telling His followers to avoid large cities (a Worldly invention), to live in the mountains and other rural areas, and to basically be "simple country folk" (in my words). 

Biblical agrarianism doesn't  mean everyone must be a farmer or homesteader - after all, there are plenty of support functions that must be done - but that as God's people, our lives, culture, economy, and civilization should reflect the primary importance of agriculture."  -- Tim Gamble, Precepts of Scriptural Survivalism 

What Happens When the Food Stockpile Runs Out?  We, as individuals, families, and communities, will have to provide for ourselves. How successful, or not, we will be at this is completely dependent on what we do between now and then. 

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I am aware of others using the term "Biblical Agrarianism." For the sake of clarity, I am not a part of that group and am not familiar with all their teachings. My use of that term is coincidental. Likewise, I am recently familiar with the "Militant Farmer" concept of Bear Independent. Check out his You Tube channel for more.

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

First Edition (1911) of the Boy Scouts Handbook

This high-quality reprint of the first edition (1911) of the Boy Scouts Handbook would make a great gift for any current or former scout of any age, as well as any boy, young man, outdoorsman, or survivalist. Only $8.68 at the moment. https://amzn.to/3FahEJi 

I have a copy, and it is really, really nice. And choke full of good information from an era before political correctness, LGBT agendas, and Critical Race Theory!

It is also worth noting that they included the original ads found in the back of the 1911 edition. It is interesting to see the ads on things such as pocket knives (50¢ and $1), scout shoes, axes, first aid kits, and even .22 rifles. An incredible piece of Americana. 

Remember: I am an Amazon affiliate, and a small percentage of purchases made through these links helps support this website at no extra cost to you. Thank you! 

Monday, November 15, 2021

Dealing with emergencies: These are the most important priorities.

By Tim Gamble

Emergency situations are tense and chaotic. You will likely experience anxiety, worry, fear, anger and other emotions. You may be dealing with dangerous situations and bad people. And you will almost certainly not have very much time in which to calmly access the situation and react rationally. Many folks facing emergencies panic, have anxiety attacks, or simply "freeze up" being unable to quickly process their intense emotions amid the chaos.

The way to avoid these mental downfalls during an emergency is to decide ahead of how you are going to deal with an emergency. One of the best ways to do this is to learn - even memorize - what the important priorities are in any emergency. Then work your way down the checklist when the emergency hits. 

DON'T print off a copy of this checklist to put in your bug-out bag, desk drawer, or glove compartment. It won't do you any good there because you won't have time to get it and read it in an emergency. In fact, you probably won't even remember you have it until after the crisis passes. Instead, LEARN it. Memorize it. That way, when you need it, it will be in your head.   

These are the priorities in any emergency:

1) Safety. Quickly remove yourself and others out of the path of immediate danger. If your house is on fire, your first priority is to get yourself and your family out of the house. If a riot or civil unrest is happening, get out of the area. Safety may also mean "bugging out" to a safer/better location during a time of political or economic turmoil.

2) Address any serious medical concerns. Here is the basic order of concern for most injuries:

  1. Make sure the person can breathe.
  2. Stop any major bleeding.
  3. Immobilize the neck/back if there is any possibility of injury to those regions.
  4. Treat shock, hypothermia, hyperthermia, and/or heart attack. 
  5. Treat dehydration.
  6. Treat broken bones (immobilize/splint).
  7. Treat lesser injuries.

*****Please take a good first aid & CPR course before an emergency hits!***** 

 3) Shelter from the elements. This may mean a formal shelter, a tent or other temporary shelter, or it may mean just warm clothes, rain gear, and/or blanket.

4) Water. Clean water is a must in any situation, emergency or not.

5) Food. Last on the list, and likely unimportant in the short run, is food. You can go longer without food than anything else on this list.

But what if I am still panicking or having anxiety attack?  If you are starting to panic, try the Box Breathing technique of the Navy Seals. If it works for them in extremely chaotic and dangerous situations, it should work for you too.

You should practice Box Breathing often under normal conditions so you'll be able to remember the technique under pressure, which won't be as easy as you may think. 

Instructions for Box Breathing: 
  1. Inhale deeply for 4 seconds 
  2. Hold your breath (lungs full) for 4 seconds 
  3. Exhale for 4 seconds 
  4. Hold your breath (lungs empty) for 4 seconds
  5. Repeat as needed
This technique is more than just a psychological trick. There is actual medical science behind Box Breathing.  It increases the nitric oxide levels in your blood, increases your blood flow, and reduces your blood pressure. These are physical changes that will help you regain or remain in control of your emotions.

Important: Plan ahead and practice what to do in various scenarios. The more you practice, the more ingrained your responses will be. This practice will help you remain focused on what you need to do during an emergency. This is why schools hold fire drills, basketball players shoot free throws in practice, and nations hold war games.

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http://amzn.to/2h6mXzCACEP First Aid Manual, 5th Edition - Everyone, prepper or not, should learn first aid. This first aid manual of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is much more up-to-date (2014) than the American Red Cross manual, which hasn't been updated since 1992. 


http://amzn.to/2gkzXmK

326-Piece First Aid Kit for Home or Office - This is an affordable and fairly complete first aid kit that meets OSHA and ANSI guidelines. Compartmentalized and very well-organized so you don't waste much time hunting for what you need. 



Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Medical Information For Dystopian Survival

By Tim Gamble

Our dystopian future is now. People are already being denied life-saving medical care because they aren't vaccinated against Covid, and more refusal-of-service is likely to come (articlearticlearticlearticlearticlearticle). And there is already talk in some European countries and among some in our own medical and political community about the "need" to make yearly flu shots mandatory in much the same way as Covid shots. Could even more mandatory vaccine requirements be coming?

Even if you are vaccinated, medical care is still problematic. We all know how expensive medical care is, and that the cost is only going up. In our dystopian future, medical care will be almost prohibitively expensive, as well as rationed. Only the wealthy, powerful, and privileged will have access to the best medical care. The rest of us will have to settle for the "scraps" that medical corporations and the government allow us to have, when they allow us to have it. Don't expect those scraps to be quick, timely, or of the same high-quality the elites get. 

People need to be ready to take care of their own health. And to deal with their own medical needs should, for whatever reasons, they not have access to medical care when they need it. Here are some resources that I have found in my own search for health and medical knowledge. It is dived into two sections. The first section is free downloads of medical information in .pdf format. The second section is low-cost information available to the general public. 

Free Medical Information 
(available for download, just click the links)

Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook - Hesperian's classic manual, Where There Is No Doctor, is arguably the most widely-used health care manual in the world. The manual provides practical, easily understood information on how to diagnose, treat, and prevent common diseases. Special attention is focused on nutrition, infection and disease prevention, and diagnostic techniques as primary ways to prevent and treat health problems.

Where There Is No Dentist - The companion to Where There Is No Doctor features information on maintaining tooth and gum health, and treating dental problems, including filling cavities and extracting teeth, when there is no professional dentist available. 

Basic Physical Health with Limited Resources - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) have taught/required preparedness and self-reliance of their members for generations, and have accumulated much practical knowledge on the subject. In addition to the well-known LDS Preparedness Manual, they have also published this 76-page guide to Basic Physical Health with Limited Resources. This book gives information covering Disease Prevention, Cleanliness and Sanitation, Family Food Production, and Basic Family Medical Care, even when resources are limited because of poverty, war, or natural disasters. 

US Military Medical and First Aid Manuals - There are more than 20 US Military Medical and First Aid Manuals available for FREE download (and no email required) in .pdf format on the Federation of American Scientists website. Just click the link to go to the webpage for those manuals, and download the ones you want or might need. Or just download all of them, since they are free.

Where There Is No Vet - Part of the same series as Where There Is No Doctor and Where There Is No Dentist, this book is more than first aid for pets and livestock. It covers a wide range of topics to help keep your animals healthy. Both traditional remedies and modern medicine are covered, and special emphasis is given to preventing disease and keeping your animals healthy. Includes advice on the care, feeding, and handling of animals. Just click the link to go to the download page on the Livestocking.net website. 

[You may also be interested in my article Six Hacks to Supercharge Your Health and Healing.]


Low-Cost Medical Information*
*Less than the average cost of a doctor's visit in the US

Please take a good first aid & CPR course before an emergency hits! These courses are typically free or low-cost. Places you may be able to find a course include your local YMCA, fire department, rescue squad, or community college. You also may be able to organize a course through your church, scouting organization, or a local community/civic club. 

Note: I have all of the following books on my Survivalist Bookshelf. There are no blind recommendations. These are the books I use. 

http://amzn.to/2h6mXzCACEP First Aid Manual, 5th Edition - Everyone, prepper or not, should learn first aid. This first aid manual of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is much more up-to-date (2014) than the American Red Cross manual, which hasn't been updated since 1992. 

The Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition - In my opinion, this is THE essential guide for when medical help is NOT on the way (which happens also to be its subtitle). Written by Dr. Joseph Alton, MD, and Amy Alton, APRN, this massive handbook (close to 700 pages) is a detailed guide for those who want to be medically prepared for any disaster or austere setting where doctors, nurses, or paramedics are not available. 

Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease, subtitled The Layman's Guide to Available Antibacterials in Austere Settings, is also by the husband-wife team of Dr. Joseph Alton, MD, and Amy Alton, APRN. This book is a simplified guide to using antibacterial and antifungal veterinary medications (such as fish antibiotics) in disaster, survival, and other austere settings where modern medicine is non-existent.  

https://amzn.to/2QpFVVX

Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal, is a popular health advice book from the editors of Reader's Digest, that is now in its Third Edition. I have all three editions, which is an indicator of how much I like this book. This book takes the approach of connecting the foods we eat to the ailments that they cause or worsen, or that they help heal. This food-health connection is extremely important, and is a natural way to deal with our health issues. 



Also of Interest: I am a Type II Diabetic. These are the three main books I use in dealing with my diabetes, two of which were recommended by my doctor. One is actually a cookbook.

http://amzn.to/2AHMv3kOf all the books I've read so far, the best and most useful is 60 Ways to Lower Your Blood Sugar by Dennis Pollock. Pollock's book is an aggressive plan to control your blood sugar by bringing together the best of traditional and alternative medicine. What I appreciate about Pollock's approach is that it is based on solid science, even the "alternative" aspects, and is not some hippy-dippy book that rejects science (avoid those). Also, his ideas are easy to follow.

http://amzn.to/2jXTCKHMy doctor recommended the book Life Without Bread by Dr. Christian B. Allan, and Dr. Wolfgang Lutz. This book presents a low-carbohydrate diet (but one not as severe as the Atkin's Diet) as the best healthy diet for everyone, especially people dealing with high blood sugar. Right now, based on my own experiences and everything else I've read, I think they are right about their low-carbohydrate diet. 

My doctor also suggested I try the cookbook Paleo Comfort Foods. Since the Paleo Diet avoids both grains and potatoes, most of the recipes in this cookbook are diabetic-friendly, although you may to substitute stevia for regular sugar in a few of them. I actually use this cookbook often.  (My doctor has told me that he and his family follow a "mostly Paleo" diet.)

 


Legal Disclaimer: Tim Gamble is not a medical professional and is NOT diagnosing or treating any medical condition. This article only points to health and medical reference materials that are available to the general public.

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Saturday, November 6, 2021

The Survivalist's Stockpile: Matches and Lighters

By Tim Gamble

The Survivalist's Stockpile is an occasional feature on the Dystopian Survival website. Each article highlights items preppers and survivalists might want to include in their stockpile of supplies. In this edition, we will highlight Lighters. 

Matches and Lighters

Our ability to make and use fire is what separates us from the animals. Well, one of the things anyway. It is important to know how to make a fire with alternative methods, such as ferro rods or bow drills. But honestly, those methods are difficult, time consuming, and not always reliable if the weather isn't fully cooperating (rain, wind). Matches and lighters on the other hand are easy, quick, and usually reliable under all but the most extreme conditions. 

They are also easy to carry, most being small enough to easily carry in a pocket. In fact, most experienced survivalists carry a lighter in their pocket as part of their regular EDC, even if they are experts on making bow drill fires Because easier, quicker, more reliable.... 

The classic Bic-style lighters are highly affordable right now (but inflation will cause the prices to rise, as with everything else), so it is worth it to buy a bunch to stick back. They do store really well. I recently opened a pack of five lighters I had purchased in 2009 and threw in a drawer. None of the five lighters had dried up (which some people worry about). After 12 years, all still had at least 75% of their fluid. 

Matches are another good option, although they can be a bit bulkier than a lighter. Storm-proof matches, designed to still be useful even in rain (hence the name), are a good choice to throw in your bug-out bag, survival kit, and glove compartment of your vehicles. 

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Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Switch To Follow.It - the Feedburner Alternative - Is Complete

Dystopian Survival has discontinued using Feedburner, owned by Google, to manage email subscriptions. Instead, we have switched to Follow.It - the Feedburner alternative - to manage email subscriptions. This switch is now complete.

In addition to moving away from Google, the move to Follow.It allows for a number of benefits for my readers.

Benefits of Follow.It:
  • FREE service to my readers.
  • Notification of new articles, posts, and updates on Dystopian Survival. Never miss an interesting article.
  • Your privacy is protected. I will never sell, rent, lease, or otherwise provide your name or email address to any other party.
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Thank you,

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Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Quick Tips for Stockpiling Food

By Tim Gamble (Nov, 2, 2021)

Yesterday, China's government issued a directive to Chinese citizens to start stockpiling food. No reason was given by the Chinese authorities, but this is a highly unusual step for the CCP to take. SouthernPrepper1 did a video on this earlier today (watch the video on his You Tube channel). Regardless of the reason, this is very good advice for all people of every nationality. 

Quick Tips for Stockpiling Food: 

  • Stick to stocking up on foods you actually eat. Don't bother stockpiling foods you or your family members are allergic to, or just plain don't like.
  • Figure out what you actually use on a regular basis, then buy extra.
  • Frozen and refrigerated foods don't count. If the electricity goes out, frozen and refrigerated foods will spoil quickly, so don't count them towards your long-term food storage.
  • Store foods properly in order to maximize their life-span. Can goods should be kept in a dry, cool place. Dry foods, such as rice, pasta, and beans, should be kept in airtight containers, in places that are dry, cool, and dark.
  • Ignore expiration or best-by dates. Foods eventually go bad, but the expiration or best-by dates stamped on them are fairly arbitrary. Foods can go bad before the expiration date, and most foods can be good well past their expiration date. Instead, use your common sense and look for signs that the food has gone bad, such as bloated or leaking cans, signs of insect or mold damage, a foul order, and taste or texture that is "off."
  • Food Storage: How Long Does It Last? I put together a very in-depth list of foods and their probable shelf-life. Read it by clicking here
  • Stock up on ingredient foods. These are foods that are often used as ingredients in recipes – chicken or beef broths, tomato sauce, tomato paste, canned mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, herbs & spices, and so on… Go through the recipes you make on a regular basis to see what ingredient foods you need.
  • Stock up on tea and coffee. Tea, and especially coffee, are both typically hard hit by inflation, so stock up on them if you or your family are a big coffee or tea drinkers.
  • Make sure you have water stored. See my article Emergency Water Storage.
  • Stock up on foods that don't require cooking. The electricity and gas may be out for an indefinite period of time, so have some foods that don't require cooking. Examples include peanut butter, many canned meats and fish, pop-tarts, canned fruit, and many canned pastas, soups, and stews.
  • A little at a time goes a long way. Most folks don’t have $500 that they can use to stock up all at once. But many can probably scrounge up $25 a week. Do that consistently, and you'll quickly build up a good amount of food. 

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Why I still haven't had Covid-19

This is an update to my March 3 article.

Disclosure: I am not a doctor or other medical professional. This article is not intended to diagnose or treat Covid-19 or any other medical condition. It is intended only as an opinion piece based on my own personal experience. If you think you may have Covid-19 or any other illness, please seek out the advice of a qualified medical professional. 

11-2-2021 - It has been over 1 ½ years since the Covid-19 pandemic came to America. According to health officials, there have been over 240 million cases worldwide, and over 45 million in the USA. I am not one of them. 

It is surprising that I am not. After all, I am among those considered especially at risk (I'm 54 with Diabetes). There are lots of cases in my area. I know a number of people who have had it. On at least two occasions that I know of, I received close, direct expose to people who were sick with Covid early on in their sickness, when medical experts tell us they are the most contagious. In both cases, neither of us were wearing masks. (On a side note, both individuals had previously been fully vaccinated. I haven't.)

I likely have been directly exposed more than just those two times.  I am out in public a lot. I attend church (when allowed). I make weekly trips to places like Sam's Club, Walmart, the grocery store, and other places of business. I go to the local park to run, and often interact with people there. I interact with neighbors. I've even been out to eat a few times (when allowed). In short, I have made no particular effort to avoid people. Yet, I am not sick, nor have I been. This begs the question, "Why not?"

I do take the common sense precautions. I wash my hands often, especially when I've been out in public. And if I see someone coughing or sneezing, I certainly avoid getting too close to them. Early on, I was diligent about wearing an earloop facemask, but haven't in months. 

I think the real reason is because of something I do, and have been doing for years. And it is a solution that has been known since the beginning of the pandemic. Yet, we have not been allowed to talk about it (free speech is effectively dead in the USA). A number of doctors and medical researchers have offered up this advice over the course of the pandemic, but they have been quickly silenced - blackballed from media interviews, social media accounts banned, You Tube videos removed...  We are simply not allowed to discuss possible natural solutions to this pandemic. 

I take 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 twice a day, everyday. And on days I go out in public, I take a third dose of each when I get home. I believe this, along with common sense precautions, is the secret of why I haven't been sick. But don't tell the Big Tech oligarchs, or you'll get banned.

(By the way, My 80-year-old mother lives with me. She also takes C and D3, and hasn't gotten sick. She does not go out in public very often, but I obviously haven't brought Covid-19 home with me to infect her.) 

I wonder how many people died because medical professionals have not been allowed to share this information in public ways? But as long as the pharmaceutical  companies make big bucks from this pandemic, I guess that is okay. 

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Monday, November 1, 2021

Legal Help for Patriots

Note:  I am unaffiliated with all the following organizations. I cannot guarantee that they will be willing or able to help you with your particular legal issues. I am providing this list of possible sources of legal help for your reference only. Please contact those that seem appropriate to you and discuss your situation with them. Good luck. 


Legal Help with Freedom of Religion Issues

American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ)
Legal helpline: 1-757-226-2489
Website: http://aclj.org/

Christian Law Association (ALC)
Telephone: 1-888-252-1969
Website: http://www.christianlaw.org/

Liberty Counsel
Telephone: 1-407-875-1776
Website: http://www.lc.org/

First Liberty Institute
Telephone: 1-972-941-4444
Website: https://firstliberty.org/

Alliance Defending Freedom
Toll Free: 1-800-835-5233


Legal Help with Second Amendment Issues

Gun Rights Attorneys
Website: https://gunrightsattorneys.com/
   Listings by State: https://gunrightsattorneys.com/attorneys/

NRA Attorney Referrals
**The NRA keeps a list of attorneys who have identified themselves as willing to consider firearm related cases. This list is available free of charge to NRA members only. For assistance in obtaining a referral from the NRA, please call (703) 267-1161. To join the NRA, visit their website.


Legal Help with Homeschooling Issues

Home School Legal Defense Association
Website: https://www.hslda.org/
Telephone: 540-338-5600 / fax 2733 


Legal Help with Other Issues Concerning Patriots

Already mentioned under Religious Freedom, the Alliance Defending Freedom may also be willing to help with other legal issues, such as Free Speech. They also have an interesting page on their website with information for dealing with various Covid mandates

Alliance Defending Freedom
Toll Free: 1-800-835-5233


***** If you know of other organizations providing legal help for these issues, please let me know in the comments section below.