Join me on USA.life - A good alternative to Facebook

Hello Folks,

USA.life is a good Facebook alternative, and I can be found there at https://usa.life/TimGamble instead of on Facebook (I deleted my FB account). USA.life is a privacy-respecting, free speech social media platform that looks and feels very similar to Facebook. It can do everything Facebook can do (long posts, comments, likes, pictures, videos, groups, etc.) except for live streaming. It is still relatively small, but I hope to see some of you there.

Thank you,

Tim Gamble

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Specific To Do Items You Should Be Doing NOW For Survival

By Tim Gamble

Given the current state of world affairs, here are some specific items that you should be checking off you "To Do List" now. 

Preparing for possible cyberattacks or EMP attacks:

• Make sure you have / print hard copies of recent bank and other financial statements.
• Make sure you have / print hard copies of important insurance papers, including account numbers and contact info.
• Make sure you have / print hard copies of your contacts (names, addresses, phone numbers).
• Make sure you have physical maps of your area, also your possible bug out locations.
• Make sure you have cash on hand (ATM machines, credit cards, debit cards, even paper checks may not work, and banks be open for business - cash may be the only way to transact business for a few hours to several weeks depending on the severity of the situation).
• Make sure you have / print hard copies of important prepper/survival information (example: print instructions from the CDC on how to use Potassium Iodine to treat radiation sickness since you will NOT be able to look it up after a nuclear or EMP attack).

Preparing for food shortages and high inflation:

• "Stack food to the rafters." (Most foods last much longer than the freshness date stamped on them).
• I honestly don't think it is possible to store too much food considering world circumstances. Again, stack it to the rafters. 
• Plant a garden, even if you only have a small amount of space, or even just containers on the patio or balcony. (See my article: Small Plot Gardening Tips.)

Preparing for possible nuclear war:

• Get or print a hard copy of Cresson H. Kearny's Nuclear War Survival Skills at the link given in that article. (Get a free .pdf at http://www.oism.org/nwss/ and buy a paperback copy at Amazon for under $20 currently)
• Watch the videos on nuclear preparedness that Southern Prepper 1 has uploaded to his You Tube channel recently.
• Make sure you have extra plastic sheeting, tarps, and gorilla tape to use as dust barriers from potential nuclear fallout. Dust kicked up by nuclear explosions can travel great distances, but the good news is that the fallout dust is contaminated by gamma radiation which degrades very rapidly. You will need to protect your homes/shelter, and especially your skin, eyes, and lungs, for the first 48 to 72 hours after a nuclear event.
• N95 masks and even those ear loop facemasks we all have now are actually good for protecting against fallout dust (dust being considerably larger than viruses). Long pants, long sleeves, shoes, safety glasses, ski masks, and gloves also work. Reduce the amount of exposed skin as much as possible. You don't have to have really expensive gear. If you do want to go the extra step, check out protective suits and N 95 masks on Amazon. 
• In case you don't know, Potassium Iodide (KI) is used for radiation poisoning. They are not expensive, and are available without prescription. Click here to find them on Amazon (there has been a big run on KI so prices are going up quickly and supplies are running low). According to the CDC "People should take KI (potassium iodide) only on the advice of public health or emergency management officials. There are health risks associated with taking KI." Learn more on the CDC website by clicking here.  

Remember:  The single most important thing you can do to survive any future chaos is to start taking responsibility for your own life now.

AD: Some good categories to explore on Amazon!

Canned Meats

Canned Soups

Canned Veggies

Canned Fruits

Dried Beans and Peas

Rice and Grains 

Oatmeal

Augason Farms Long Term Foods (the brand I buy for powdered butter, milk, cheese, etc.)

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Promote Self-Reliance as a Means of Resistance

By Tim Gamble

Here is something to think about: The more self-reliant we are as individuals, families, and communities, the less need we will have for government, and the less power the Elites will have over our lives. This fact is is obvious to the Elites, which is why they have focused so much effort on attacking the concept of self-reliance, labeling it as too hard, unrealistic, unfair, and selfish, among other things. The Elites want us as dependent on government, and therefore on them, as possible. 

This desire to control the people through dependence is why the Elites have dumbed-down our educational system, attacked Biblical Christianity, destroyed the traditional family structure, pushed the concept of victimhood, and promoted the welfare state. And it is why the survivalist mindset is so important. 

Survivalism and preparedness isn't about heading for the hills, hiding from world. Instead, survival is about developing self-reliance as individuals, families & communities, so that we don't need government or the Elites. Not needing government takes away most of the power and influence of both elected politicians and unelected bureaucrats, as well as the lobbyists of the corporate world. 

Remember:  The single most important thing you can do to survive any future chaos is to start taking responsibility for your own life now.

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DuckDuckGo Jumps On the Censorship Bandwagon?

This article is cross-posted from www.TimGamble.com. 

By Tim Gamble

Rob Braxman, the tech expert, entrepreneur and hacker who bills himself as the "Internet Privacy Guy," is reporting that the search engine DuckDuckGo has "gone woke" and is censoring search results to favor a Leftist agenda. "What's up with DuckDuckGo? Just did a few tests and I clearly see censorship" stated Braxman. He goes into more details in a video he released a few days ago:

Please consider following Rob Braxman Tech on You Tube (link = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYVU6rModlGxvJbszCclGGw). 

DuckDuckGo is an alternative to Big Tech search engines such as Google and Bing. It has been extremely popular with the Right and others due to its emphasis on privacy and, we assumed, its lack of Google-style censorship. According to Braxman, DuckDuckGo appears to remain a good privacy choice, but its days of not censoring conservative viewpoints are over. 

What are our alternatives? Braxman has long recommended StartPage and continues to do so. He also says that DuckDuckGo remains a good privacy option, but we need to remember that its results are now biased against conservatives and viewpoints opposing those of the Left. 

I personally use Brave Search (still in Beta, but open to the public) and Qwant (European-based, so it is governed by stricter EU privacy laws) as my main search engines. I also occasionally use StartPage and DuckDuckGo. I never use Google, Bing, or Yahoo search engines, and haven't in many years.  

There are other alternatives. You may be interested in reading my recent article Privacy and Anti-Censorship Alternatives to Google, written before Braxman made me aware of DuckDuckGo's drift to the Dark Side. 

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At Least 12.6 Million Chickens and Turkeys Lost To Bird Flu Outbreak In US

By Tim Gamble

Iowa officials have announced that new cases of Bird Flu at a second egg-laying farm in the state will require another 5.3 million chickens to be killed. This raises the total number of chickens and turkeys lost to the national bird flu epidemic to at least 12.6 million in eight states. The bird flu has been found in wild birds, mostly ducks and geese, in 24 states this year. 

The CDC states that the bird flu outbreak does not present an immediate public health concern, and that no human cases of the avian influenza virus have been detected in the US. It remains safe to eat poultry products, as cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses, according to the CDC. 

The bird flu pandemic is ongoing, and there will likely be more chickens and turkeys lost to it in the coming weeks. In an atmosphere of already high inflation and supply chain problems, the bird flu pandemic will cause even more inflation pressure on chicken, turkey, and eggs at supermarkets across the nation. The severity of the inflation and the possibility of actual shortages at stores will depend on the length of the pandemic and the amount of birds lost to it, both of which are unpredictable at this point. 

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Do NOT do this as part of your prepping!

By Tim Gamble

Do not go into debt to buy your prepper supplies and gear. Recent world events have shocked some people into finally becoming preppers. Some folks who were already "armchair preppers" have been shocked into finally getting serious about their preps. Even some long-time, serious preppers may feel the need to do even more given the state of world affairs. An easy answer may seem to be found in pulling out the credit cards and ringing-up the debt to buy supplies and equipment. Please don't. 

In fact, I recommend avoiding personal debt, regardless of the reasons. Except for perhaps a home mortgage, debt is never a good idea. Especially consumer debt like credit cards, car loans, student loans, payday loans, and installment plans. The saying that debt makes the debtor slave to the lender is very true. Don't do it, even if it means doing without.

"The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender." -- Proverbs 22:7 (NKJV)

I've been around the world of preppers and survivalists long enough (about 20 years) to realize that some folks seem to have the idea that they can go into debt now, and not have to pay off that debt after an economic or societal collapse. What if the collapse doesn't happen as soon as you expect? A complete political and economic collapse that would wipe out all debt  might be many years away, if it happens at all. In the meantime debt means worry, slavery, and possible financial ruin. Marriages and families have been destroyed by debt. Don't do it.

Yes, the world is scary right now. Spending money we don't have to buy "stuff" may make us feel a little better and safer in the moment, but will likely have many negative consequences over the long-term. Do the best you can with what you have. Don't spend money you don't have. 

*** You may also be interested in my article: Money Mistakes of the Poor & Middle Class (plus solutions)

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What have I been doing as the war in Ukraine drags on?

By Tim Gamble

Well, the war in Ukraine continues. The good news is that so far the war has been limited to a small regional war (meaning it is taking place in a single region and mostly between two countries, although both are getting some aid from others). The bad news is that the longer the war drags on, the more likely that other countries get actively involved in the conflict, and the greater the risk that things spin out-of-control. Even if the war stays contained to Ukraine, the longer it lasts, the more impactful it will be on worldwide supply lines and fuel prices, among other things.

Given the situation, many of my long-time readers may be interested in what I am actually doing right now to up my preparedness and survival. Luckily, I have been a prepper / survivalist for about 20 years now, so much of what I need to do is already mostly done. But there is still plenty I am doing. Some examples:

>>  I've spent a lot of time over the past week getting the garden ready for this year, including expanding the area I've set aside to grow food. I've also planted many of the early corps (lettuce, onions, early peas). The garden will continue to occupy much of my time and effort.

>>  I've kept my gas and gas storage topped off and rotated. I don't let my vehicles' tanks drop below 3/4 full before I top them off. This means extra stops at the gas station, but I would rather "waste my time" doing that, then to have my vehicle be almost empty when the gas stations run dry. 

>>  I've kept my food supplies topped of and well-rotated. I've even added to my canned meats and to my stored grains (oatmeal, cereal). Ukraine is a MAJOR grain producer, and its production will be mostly off-line this years. Expect global supplies of grain to be reduced and costs to increase in response. 

>>  I've added to my stored ammo, mainly because I found some at a surprisingly good price over the weekend (which means I am out looking for deals on useful stuff).

>>  I've reviewed materials and my plans for what to do in case of a nuclear event, including re-reading the article Minimum Pre-Crisis Preparations for a Nuclear Event. By the way, you can download a free .pdf copy of Cresson H. Kearny's Nuclear War Survival Skills at the link given in that article. This excellent book is also available in paperback on Amazon for $14.29 currently. It is good to have a physical copy of this book, in addition to the .pdf copy.

>>  I've also watched the videos on nuclear preparedness that Southern Prepper 1 has uploaded to his You Tube channel. 

>>  I bought some extra plastic sheeting, tarps, and gorilla tape to use as dust barriers from potential nuclear fallout. Dust kicked up by nuclear explosions can travel great distances, but the good news is that the fallout dust is contaminated by gamma radiation which quickly degrades very rapidly. You will need to protect your homes/shelter, and especially your skin, eyes, and lungs, for the first 48 to 72 hours after a nuclear event.

>>  N95 masks and even those ear loop facemasks we all have now are actually good for protecting against fallout dust (dust being considerably larger than viruses). Long pants, long sleeves, shoes, safety glasses, ski masks, and gloves also work. Reduce the amount of exposed skin as much as possible. You don't have to have really expensive gear. If you do want to go the extra step, check out protective suits and N 95 masks on Amazon. 

>>  I've located my previously purchased Potassium Iodine (KI) tablets (I actually had more than I realized) so that I know where they are in case we need them. I've also reviewed instructions on how and when to use them.  

>>  In case you don't know, KI is used for radiation poisoning. They are not expensive, and are available without prescription. Click here to find them on Amazon (there has been a big run on KI so prices are going up quickly and supplies are running low). According to the CDC "People should take KI (potassium iodide) only on the advice of public health or emergency management officials. There are health risks associated with taking KI." Learn more on the CDC website by clicking here.  

>>  I've also taken some cash out of the bank to keep on hand in case cyberattacks (or a nuclear event) knocks the financial system off line for a few days or longer.

>>  For similar reasons, I've also made paper copies of recent bank and financial statements in case the electronic systems go down. 

>>  Finally, I have reviewed with my household what our plans are in certain eventualities. Everyone needs to be on the same page, and know what to do.  

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