Preparing for after the election

I found this article to make some really good points and has great ideas that you guys might find useful. We need to be ready to Support and Defend the Constitution of these United States! Patriots it is time to prepare and to be ready when we are needed. We must do what we can to restore our Constitutional Republic!

There is a substantial risk that Hillary “Hitlery” Clinton will become our next President. She is notoriously anti-gun, and has made many promises to her gun-grabbing campaign donors to give “gun control” (read: civilian disarmament) her top priority.

Consider the guidance in this article just a contingency. You can simply ignore it, if Donald Trump is elected. (Since he is outspokenly pro-gun.) But if Clinton is indeed elected, then gun, ammunition, and magazine prices will surely start to rise immediately. And by the time she actually takes office, prices might well have already doubled or tripled, and shortages of some item–particularly standard military caliber ammunition and many 11+ round magazines–will be widespread.

I recommend that you take the following steps:

Get Ready…

• Withdraw some substantial cash (but not more that $9,700), and keep it well-hidden, at home.
• Pay off your credit card balances, so that you will have your full purchase credit limit available.
• Consult gun show calendars, and make plans to attend local shows. Note that many gun shows are now run as three-day shows, open Friday through Sunday. Check the advertised hours closely, and call to confirm days and show hours with the gun show management, before traveling. You will want to be there on Friday, to avoid the Saturday mob scene. Expend a vacation day from your work, if need be.

Get Set…

• Make prioritized shopping lists
• Set bookmarks in your browser for ordering the particular items that you have in mind to purchase.
• Make detailed comparison price lists (or an electronic spreadsheet, if you are so inclined),in descending order of prices so you that won’t pay too much for what you buy. This research takes time, but that translates into saving money, so it is time well spent.

…Go!

• On Election Night immediately after announcement that Hitlery is the projected winner in the Electoral College, go online and place orders with Internet sellers that take orders 24 hours per day, such as: CDNN Sports, GunMagWarehouse, Brownells, KeepShooting.com, CheaperThanDirt, Midway, Cabela’s (now part of Bass Pro Shops), J&G Sales, Bud’s Gun Shop, Dan’s Ammo, Lucky Gunner, Able Ammo, Ammunition Store, Ammunition Depot, Cope’s Distributing, Centerfire Systems, and GlockPro.
• Keep in mind that many manufacturers such as SIGArms, Beretta USA, and The Beta Company also take direct Internet orders.
• Stay up and complete as many of your planned orders as you can afford, late into the night. It you tarry and say: “I’ll do it tomorrow”, then you will probably be disappointed to to see “Out Of Stock” showing at many vendor web sites.

The Morning After

• Set your alarm clock, and start making calls to the mail order vendors that don’t take Internet orders, starting right at 8 AM, Eastern Time.
• Be outside the door of your local gun shop before it opens. Bring lots of cash.

In The Weeks Following

• Attend guns shows in your state. If it is possible under your state and local laws, buy used private party guns, with no paper trail. If that is not an option in your state, then buy a pre-1899 antique cartridge rifle, such as a 7mm Model 1895 Chilean Mauser. These are exempt from paperwork, in most states.)
•Watch auction sites such as GunBroker.com and GunAuction.com closely, for guns that are on your purchase list. Concentrate on “Buy It Now” items, since the multi-day auctions will probably be bid up to stratospheric heights, in the panic period following election day.

What To Buy

Start with your own needs, then with your children’s needs, and then with barter in mind, as follows:

•First Priority: Magazines and ammunition for your primary battle rifles
•Second Priority: Magazines and ammunition for your primary carry pistols
•Third Priority: Stripped AR-15 and AR-10 receivers (for later assembly)
•Fourth Priority: Secondary firearms, plus magazines and ammunition, to match
•Fifth Priority: Magazines and ammunition for planned acquisitions that will expand your battery of guns–including guns for children and grandchildren
•Sixth Priority: Magazines and ammunition for barter or re-sale.

Note: Be sure to buy only either original military contract or original factory-made full capacity magazines–don’t buy aftermarket junk (Magpul is not considered aftermarket for these purposes)!

Any extra magazines that are intended for barter should be of the types that will be in the highest demand. Examples include: AR-15/M16, M14, Mini-14, AR-10, FAL, Glock, S&W M&P, Beretta, and SIG. In particular, I predict that 33-round Glock magazines, 30-round Beretta Model 92 magazines, 100-round Beta C-MAGs, and 40-round Mag-Pul AR-15 PMAGs will all be in particularly high demand.)


Potential Resistance

In some families, a spouse might object to you making such purchases. Sit down and dispassionately show them the history of other “scare” and “ban”periods, and point out how much prices rose. (For example: stripped AR-15 lower receivers jumped from $60 each to $300 each, during the last big scare.) Tell them: “This is the equivalent of having the foreknowledge of what Dow Jones stocks will double or triple in price. It is wise to buy low and sell high.” If need be, promise your spouse that you will sell off half of what you plan to buy, after prices have doubled. That will leave the purchase cost of what you then retain, effectively at zero.

In Closing

Don’t panic, but recognize that Hitlery Clinton will probably act swiftly to restrict privately-owned firearms and accessories, using Executive Orders. Her transition team might even prepare them before she takes office. Most likely would be an import ban on magazines that can hold more than 10 cartridges, for civilians. Another likelihood is an import ban on military style firearms and/or parts sets. Another possibility is reclassifying 80% complete receivers. She might also direct the BATFE to expand the definition of “Destructive Devices” to include semi-automatic shotguns with detachable magazines. (Such as the Saiga-12, which is already import banned.) Plan accordingly.

And regardless of the outcome of the upcoming election, you should have already spread out your guns, ammo, optics, and field gear between hidden places in several houses owned by members of your family, and in underground caches. DO NOT keep all your eggs in one basket! – JWR

Original article.

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Feed your family for a year

Even though this post is not tactical in nature, we all have to eat, and without food we cannot fight. I think this is a great way to get your basic food down for a 5-6 month time frame. I know it is not gourmet, but it will keep you alive. It is a great place to start, this is not the end of course, but this is what I would call bare bones minimum.


Feed a family of 4 for 1 year, for less than $300

By MsKYprepper, Editor-At-Large

You are out of excuses!

This plan is THE fastest, cheapest and easiest way to start a food storage program. You are done in a weekend. AND there are no hassles with rotating. Pack it and forget. It’s space efficient – everything is consolidated into a few 5-gallon buckets. You’ll sleep content in knowing that you have a one-year food supply on hand for your family should you ever need.

With the exception of dairy and Vitamin B12, this bean soup recipe will fulfill all your basic nutritional needs. It won’t fill all of your wants, but using this as your starting point, you can add the stuff that you want.

All of the food and storing supplies listed below plus 2 55-gallon recycled barrels to be used for rain catchment cost me $296, including taxes. I purchased rice, bouillon and salt from SAM’s Club. You can buy small bags of barley at the grocery, but if you don’t mind waiting a few days, special ordering a bulk bag from Whole Foods was cheaper. All of the beans I purchased from Kroger’s in 1-lb bags. Buckets, lids, Mylar bags and rain barrels were from the Lexington Container Company. Their prices are so good, with such a great selection that it’s worth a drive even if you are not in the local area. I went on a second-Saturday of the month because that’s when they host free food storage courses taught by Suzanne, an energetic, delight of prepping wisdom.

http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/

What you need:

8 5-gallon buckets

8 large Mylar bags

8 2,000 cc oxygen absorbers

8 gamma lids

A handful of bay leaves

90 lbs. of white rice

22 lbs. of kidney beans

22 lbs. of barley

22 lbs. of yellow lentils

5.5 lbs. of split green peas

5.5 lbs. of garbanzo beans

1 lb. of salt

A big box of beef and chicken bouillon.

A measuring cup

What you’ll do

Install the gamma lids on the bucket and insert Mylar bags. Place 2 or 3 bay leaves in the bottom and fill the buckets, adding more bay leaves after each 1/3 to full. Place an oxygen absorber in the top. Label buckets with the contents and date.

Fill

•3 buckets with rice (shake it down good. Get it all in there!)
•1 bucket each of kidney beans, barley, and yellow lentils
•In 1 bucket store the split green peas, garbanzo beans, salt, measuring cup and bouillon. (I removed the bouillon from the box and vacuum sealed it as bouillon contains a small amount of oil.)
•Yep, that’s a total of 7 buckets, so far.

I place a broom handle across the bucket and wrap the ends of the Mylar bag over the broom handle to give me some support. Then slowly and smoothly run a hot iron over the Mylar bag to seal all except the last 2 inches. Then I press out as much air as possible before sealing the remaining 2 inches. Make sure your Mylar is completely sealed from end to end. Now, stuff the bag into the bucket and rotate the gamma lid into place. This will protect your food for about 25 years. You’ll have excess Mylar bag at the top. Don’t cut it off, that way if you have to cut it open to get into it, you have enough bag remaining to reseal.

Where you’ll put it

It’s pretty easy to find a place for 7 to 8 5-gallon buckets even in the smallest of apartments. Discard the box springs and lay the kid’s mattress on top of the buckets, line the back of a large closet with the buckets. I made a couch-table by stacking buckets two high between the couch and the wall. The buckets are about 6” taller than the back of the couch. Add a shelf and drape and it looks fine; a convenient place for a lamp and books. Get creative.

Making your bean soup

Measure out

· 8 oz of rice

· 2 oz of red kidney beans

· 2 oz of pearl barley

· 2 oz of lintels

· 1 oz of split green peas

· 1 oz of chick peas/garbanzo’s

Add 6-7 quarts of water. Add bouillon or salt to taste. Then add any other meats, vegetables, potatoes or seasonings you have on hand. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for two hours. You should have enough to feed 4 people for two days. This is thick and hearty. You will be warm on the inside and full with one large bowl. Kids usually eat half a bowl.

When the emergency is over

This system allows you to open the Mylar bags, retrieve as much of the ingredients as is needed and then reseal everything after the emergency has passed. Just be sure to replace the ingredients used so that you always have a one-year supply.

The 8th bucket – other stuff I would want

This list isn’t included in the $300. This falls into the “what I want” category. As money and resources became available, I’d just go crazy adding all of my indulgences, starting with coffee! You can add what you want, but I’d fill it with:

•Dry onion. Let’s face it, what’s bean soup without onion! Sprinkle on the onions just before serving.
•“Just add water” cornbread mix packets. I just can’t eat bean soup without cornbread.
•Beef jerky and Vienna sausages. Add protein and zest to the bean soup
•Instant oatmeal. Do you really want bean soup for breakfast? Freeze the oatmeal for 3 days before packing to kill any bugs.
•10 lbs of jellybeans. Now, don’t laugh – it’s a bean. Jellybeans don’t melt like chocolate might. The high sugar content is quick energy, and a morale booster – with just enough of a high to help you over the really bad days. Easter is about here – stock up!

Before you fill the 8th bucket

Buy small bags of the ingredients and fix a big pot of bean soup for dinner. Eat the leftovers the second night, and 3rd night, until it’s all gone. Find out now – rather than later – what your family might like to add to it. Anything tastes great the first meal, but quickly becomes boring after the 3rd or 4th repeat. Don’t wait until the emergency happens to discover what you SHOULD have stored in your 8th bucket. … Maybe some Beano!

Original Article

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The future?

Another example of being too far gone! We need to get ready NOW people, if you are not ready, then do it NOW! Time is short, and there is a lot to do. We need to do what we can to ensure that our way of life is not gone forever!

Even though I made a brief post about Justice Scalia's death last night I am going to expand on it some more today.

I don't know anything about the circumstances of his death and at this point I am not going to comment about the many questions that are being brought up across the blogs and news sites. As many of my long term readers may remember I have long held that the Conservative members of the Supreme Court were the most important Men in the world right now for us and Scalia was at the top of that list. At one point I placed Roberts almost as high until he showed that he could be manipulated.

Also it has been my philosophy since about 2008 that there is little to nothing we can do as responsible Americans to stop the financial train wreck that is coming which includes mass immigration in it as well. There is simply no stopping what the Feminist/Progressive/Multi-Culters have set in motion because too many people now rely on the government cheese plain and simple. Even a large portion of us who do not receive a government check each month still rely on that spending to come down the pipe for our own from private companies or the spending it brings from government employees. There is simply no getting away from it for I estimate 90% of the population at least. However it's more than obvious it is unsustainable so what must end will end.

This is where the Supreme court came in. We cannot set things right, we cannot begin getting the population to become more self sufficient. The ONLY thing we can do is prepare ourselves and defend every inch of political ground we can to stop or slow the advance of Liberal/Feminist ideology and keep them from taking even more of our rights away. The best hope we had was that the economic/financial collapse would happen sooner rather than later and we would still have our 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc and property rights intact when this all goes down.

Now our ability to stall, defend and make em pay for every inch of ground that remains is severely and sorely compromised. Even if (And it's a big if) the Senate managed to delay the vote on whatever lowlife Liberal Feminist Obummer sees fit to appoint to the office until the next President takes over we still have 10 months of being one man short and further hampered by the fact that Scalia was the best legal champion we had. There are in fact several cases coming up before their usual break that Scalia was weighed into heavily and with him gone we will more than likely begin loosing ground almost immediately.

This changes things. It changes them drastically and puts all of us on blogs and forums like this one in a new danger. If the next blow we suffer is a Presidential win by Hillary or Sanders well I don't even want to think about it.

At the very least firearms and ammo have now jumped even higher on the must have list than they were. Site and Life security and anonymity for your web presence is once again looking to be very important. Official government Censorship and repercussions for opinions and ideology are once again looking likely as well. Challenges to government over reach and restrictive laws now could very well be rubber stamped through and the debt clock will begin twirling even faster while the hand of the government will grasp tighter.

Most importantly the hope that this thing comes apart sooner rather than later now rises to a new height. We are vulnerable and hang on the roll of the dice. If the Senate caves and/or a Femocrat wins the next Presidency it's all over but the police state knocking on our doors. I have long hoped the collapse would come before the need for us patriots to stand up and fight our own government and it looked like grid-lock was going to insure that.

I am not so sure anymore.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!!

Posted by PioneerPreppy

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Are we too far gone?

Now this is crazy! We must not let this happen, we need to stand up and say "Enough is enough". If we do not make a stand, then our way of life will be gone forever, if it is not already. Please read this, think about it, and what you are going to do about it. We cannot let this come to fruition.

Feds Seek Home Visits, Calling Parents "Equal Partners"

Written by Alex Newman

Big Brother wants to be an “equal partner” with American parents in the raising of their own children, starting before they are even born. He wants to send his agents to your house for “home visits,” too. Believe it or not, two powerful arms of Obama administration, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), explicitly say so themselves.

In a draft policy statement on “family engagement,” the two unconstitutional bureaucracies openly state their joint position: families are “equal partners” in everything from children's “development” and “education” to their “wellness across all settings.” Virtually no area of family life, including the health and “mental health” of parents, as well as a family's “attitudes” and even its “housing,” would be free from government intrusion under the government's Orwellian vision. Even vague notions of “family wellness,” as defined by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., would be put under a government microscope. "Parenting interventions" will be used to ensure compliance.

“It is the position of the Departments [of HHS and Education] that all early childhood programs and schools recognize families as equal partners in improving children’s development, learning and wellness across all settings, and over the course of their children’s developmental and educational experiences,” reads the draft policy. And it gets even more bizarre: As defined in the document, family means “all the people who play a role in a child’s life and interact with a child’s early childhood program or school.”

To advance the “goal” of turning families into “equal partners,” the joint policy statement by the two federal bureaucracies provides “recommendations” to, and highlights resources for, state and local governments. The document argues that Big Brother needs to know about essentially everything, for the supposed benefit of the child it wants to “partner” in caring for. Citing “research,” the policy statement claims that “the institutions where children learn cannot ignore family wellness if they want to ... fulfill their mission to prepare children for school and academic success.” In other words, every aspect of family life is now fair game under the pretext of checking “family wellness.”

While government usurpation of parental rights and responsibilities is hardly a new phenomenon, the Obama administration has pushed the agenda hard. Citing Obama's so-called “My Brother's Keeper” scheme, the document also touts ensuring that “children are learning across settings and that all adults who teach and care for them are strong partners with shared expectations and aligned strategies.” Thinking that Big Brother is going to align its “strategies” and “expectations” to those of parents — rather than the other way around — is naïve at best.

The “principles” underlying the agenda are spelled out explicitly, including “equal partnerships between families and professionals.” In fact, the paper calls for promoting “shared responsibility” between government “professionals” and families “for children's healthy development, learning and wellness.” The paper also calls for “jointly” developing and monitoring goals for the children at home and the classroom, with government employees told to “engage parents as capable, competent partners.”

Big Psychiatry will also play a major role. “Ensure constant monitoring and communication regarding children’s social-emotional and behavioral health,” the document demands. “Ensure that children’s social-emotional and behavioral needs are met and that families and staff are connected with relevant community partners, such as early childhood mental health consultants and children’s medical homes.” In the policy statement's “recommendations” for states — much of which will be imposed through federal bribes — state governments are told to “expand early childhood mental health consultation efforts.”

There are lots of “recommendations” — nudge nudge, wink wink — for local governments, too. If parent “partners” are not partnering in a way approved of by Big Brother, for example, local officials should “identify supports that will be offered to parents such as evidence-based parenting interventions.” By interventions, they mean exactly what you think they mean. Local arms of Big Brother should also seek out “community partners” that can “provide comprehensive services, such as health, mental health, or housing assistance to meet families’ basic needs,” the document explains.

The Obama administration also wants to make sure that Big Brother's “partners” are being regularly checked up on — even at their homes. The document calls for various government programs to visit your house. Seriously. “To support ongoing relationship building with families, programs and schools should conduct periodic home visits so that teachers and families can get to know each other and communicate about children’s goals, strengths, challenges, and progress,” the policy statement says, adding that if home visits are not possible for “all families,” other requirements should be imposed.

The document also calls on schools to “assess families' needs and wants,” and even to provide training for parents on how to raise their children. Indeed, every aspect of parents' lives is in the crosshairs. “It is important that LEAs [local education agencies], schools and programs have a strategy for supporting family wellbeing,” the Obama administration argues. “LEAs, schools and programs can support family wellbeing through school social workers, by implementing community schools models or approaches, or using family support staff and mental health consultants.”

The Obama-backed community schools, dubbed parental-replacement centers by critics, are already in full swing, and set for a massive expansion, thanks to support by most Republicans in Congress. Indeed, as The New American reported recently, these “full-service community schools” are set to play a key role in the broader agenda, overseeing every aspect of children's lives ranging from dentistry and nutrition to “wellbeing” and mental health. The recently passed “Every Student Succeeds Act” also contains provisions for deploying “mental health” programs against parents and even community members. Obama's recently retired Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who boasts of turning your children into “green” and “global” citizens with UNESCO using the “weapon” of education, even called for government to have “some kids” 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

At first glance, the Obama administration policy document appears to be merely about “engaging families” in the raising of their own children. Indeed, there is much in the document that, if it were not coming from a federal government that is increasingly out of control and cannot even balance a budget, much less raise children, might sound innocent enough. For instance, the policy statement refers to parents as the children's “first and most important teachers, advocates, and nurturers.” What it implies, though, is that Big Brother is also going to play the role of “advocate” and “nurturer” to your children. Perhaps Big Brother can provide hugs and bed-time stories soon, too.

In fact, throughout the document, it becomes brazenly clear that federal bureaucrats are starting from the false assumption that Big Brother is in charge of raising children, and that parents may be called upon to help out as “partners.” It also purports to provide justification for governments to pry into every aspect of family life — an extraordinarily dangerous proposition that is a hallmark of totalitarian governments. The mindset evidenced throughout the document is beyond paternalistic and condescending to parents.

So far, the joint policy statement by Obama's HHS and Education Department has flown largely under the radar. But as word spreads, critics are expressing outrage about Big Brother's accelerating intrusions into family life and child rearing. E-mails blasting the scheme have been spreading rapidly among education researchers. In a post about the policy headlined “Marxist Nanny State Coming for the Family,” education researcher Betsy Kraus noted that with “Early Childhood Education” now written into the recently approved Obama-GOP “education” bill known as the Every Student Succeeds Act, the American family is in the government's crosshairs. She also cited various extremist quotes by prominent psychiatrists illustrating just how dangerous the agenda truly is.

One furious mother, meanwhile, citing her Catholic faith and the U.S. Constitution's limits on federal power, compared the proposed governmental usurpation of parental authority in children's “development” to what occurs under communist dictatorships. “I am a Catholic and my rights and duties as a Catholic parent are to educate my children and that I am only a cooperator of that education with the love of God the Creator, NOT with the government, federal or state,” wrote the mother, Sara Wood, in a letter that has been widely circulated among education researchers and activists via the Internet.

Also blasting the joint policy statement was The People, LLC, a constitutionally focused activist and watchdog group that has dealt extensively with education and parental rights at the state and local level and has been successful in drafting laws recognizing and protecting parental rights in education. “Grants such as those related to this policy have been incentivizing states since the inception of the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant,” said co-founder Angela Alef. “Up to now, the effect of these grants has been realized within the population receiving childcare vouchers/assistance. With the continued expansion of the 'money-following-the-child' policies of Education Reform, such interference in parental authority will be realized across all populations unless a state-level fight is waged by citizens.”

In a statement provided to The New American, Alef cited a 2011 meeting of the Louisiana Department of Education's Early Education Supervisors to illustrate the point. She said that “concern was expressed there” that there would be “insufficient monitoring of children” whose parents decided against enrolling their pre-K-aged children in school. “The solution posed by the session leader was that, 'at some point, obviously, parents will have to be assessed,'” Alef recalled. The latest policy statement by the Department of Health and Human Services, she added, “can only be viewed as continuing the effort to standardize our families — one child at a time.”

It was not immediately clear when the policy draft was released, nor what the current status of it is. The document remains online at the federal government's website. It appears to have been put out during or after the fall of 2015. Nobody answered the phone at the agency when contacted by The New American on Wednesday to ask about the policy. In its press section, though, the department was boasting of federal agencies “joining forces” to create a new “center” that will “support the Obama administration’s goal of expanding access to high-quality early care, education, and home visiting for all young children.” (Emphasis added.) It said the goals would be accomplished through, among other means, providing “help” to states as well as “child care centers, preschools, and home visiting programs.”

Admittedly, a major part of the problem is that many parents have bought into the notion that they can, or even should, hand over their children to government “professionals” and “experts” to be raised, monitored, tracked, manipulated, and “developed.” But Big Brother has certainly played a giant role in encouraging that dangerous idea, most recently illustrated in the policy statement referring to families as “equal partners” in child rearing. Even setting aside the fact that the federal government has zero constitutional authority to meddle in child rearing or education, history suggests the results could be tragic. The American people must resist Big Brother's unwanted and unconstitutional advances at every level of government.

Alex Newman is a correspondent for The New American, covering economics, education, politics, and more. Follow him on Twitter @ALEXNEWMAN_JOU. He can be reached at: anewman@thenewamerican.com.

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Being Anonymous

Disclaimer: I did not write the following article, the credit is listed below. I posted it here because I felt that it is good information, and that the readers of this blog would gain something from this information.

Being Anonymous, by Spotlight

As posted on the Survival Blog.

I walked out onto the driveway to greet my wife as she backed the car in, arriving home from a long day at work. Right away, I noticed a magnet on the back of the car, proclaiming us to be members of our church, complete with our town name. “What’s up with that?” I said, looking at the magnet, as she got out of the car. She laughed and said the pastor of our church had put it on there when he saw her in the parking lot. I think she had laughed because she knew what I was going to say next , “That won’t make it until bedtime!” (It didn’t.) When I got into preparedness, I came across the “grey man” theory at some point. Reading it, I realized that I fit the profile, for the most part. I think of it more in the sense of being anonymous, but it’s close enough. The grey man theory is the idea of remaining unnoticed in general and not standing out, not being the one on television who’s being interviewed in regard to some controversial position, not being the guy everyone noticed because of his loud mouth or loud clothing, and that sort of thing.

I have actually been fairly anonymous all of my life, although I didn’t realize it until more recently. You know how some people are very noticeable? Do you know how everyone takes notice when they walk in a room, people talk about them when they’re not in the room, and everyone generally remembers what they said? I am the opposite. It never really dawned on me for most of my life. I’ve always been an introvert, always being more comfortable alone than in a group. In school I always had one or two close friends and never really a big group of them, despite being on numerous sports teams.

When I grew up, I became a police officer in the small town I grew up in. After a few years, I was promoted to detective and spent the rest of my career in that role, which I really enjoyed.

Since I was a cop in the town I grew up in, which as I mentioned was a small town at that, I was particularly careful about telling people where I lived and even more so after I got married and had a family to protect. People think that only big city cops have to worry about retaliation from criminals, when in fact I suspect that it is much more prevalent against small town cops. We’re a lot easier to find, since most big city cops I ran into didn’t live in the cities they patrolled. Those of us in the small towns tend to have repeat contact with the same criminals, and it’s easier to run into a small town cop on a force of 50 or less on purpose, than to find some cop in a city of thousands. On the occasion people asked me where I lived, depending on who they were (i.e. criminal or non-criminal), I either flat-out lied (to the criminals) and named a city where we had looked for houses so I could be somewhat knowledgeable of the area or was vague enough (to the non-criminals) so that it sounded like I had answered but really hadn’t told them much. In addition to being careful what I told people, I had an unlisted phone number and a PO box to get my mail, which was necessary since we first lived in an apartment with no direct mail service. The PO box just became another layer of security after we moved.

As I got into prepping and became familiar with the grey man concept, I realized that I had been born a “grey man” to some degree. For some reason, I am really good with names and faces, but no one seems to remember mine, even people I have met on more than one occasion. Perhaps it’s because of my introverted nature that I am not “rememberable” to people, but I have always found it somewhat humorous to go up to someone I met once or twice, call them by name, and watch as I see them looking confused as to who I am or why they know me while we talk. (I’ve often told my family that men are lucky. We can call each other “buddy”, “pal”, “boss”, and the always flattering “chief”, and no one is the wiser as to the fact that we have no idea who this guy is that we’re talking to!)

So, let’s get back to the car magnet my wife received. Why on earth anyone would drive around with a sign saying where they worship (and probably live) on the back of their car? It’s like those family magnets people put on their car, showing how many kids they have and what gender they are, then add a sticker from the local elementary school as well. So, you have just notified the world that you have X number of young children, what school they go to, and what town you live in. It doesn’t make any sense to me. Don’t get me wrong; I do know why people do it. They’re showing pride in their church, school, or even their family. I just think it’s poor OPSEC, at a minimum, and in some ways, dangerous.

Before I list my tips to being anonymous, here’s one word on the Internet. It was a game changer for privacy as we all know. Anyone who wants to can probably find me pretty easily, since a lot of public records are online for free or for a small fee. However, as one of my former co-workers said when we were discussing why we bothered taking privacy precautions as police officers, “Just because they can find it if they look hard enough, doesn’t mean we should give it to them for nothing.”

Being Anonymous:

1.Unlist your phone number. If you’re already listed, I don’t know how much this will do to remove what’s already out there. At a minimum, tell the phone company you don’t want your address listed. (Yes, you can do that!) My unlisted number costs me less than $5 per month. As a bonus, I almost never get telemarketing calls. If I’m asked in a store for my phone number, I tell them it’s unlisted or give them my cell number, which is not connected to my home.

2.Use a PO Box or UPS store mailbox. Yes, it’s a hassle to have to go somewhere other than the end of your driveway for mail. We actually do get some mail at our house, but we use the UPS store mailbox that I set up for a side business for most of our bills, checks, DMV paperwork, et cetera. It’s particularly helpful on the DMV paperwork. In the event my car gets stolen, the thieves won’t have my home address. In my state, the DMV is okay with a PO Box or UPS store address on the actual license or registration, as long as you provide them with your real street address for their records. Anytime I’m asked for my address, it’s the UPS Store one I give.

3.Skip the flashy clothes or ones with controversial statements. One of the things I liked about being a cop was wearing a uniform. There was no picking out clothes everyday. Then I made detective and had to pick out clothes (and a tie!) everyday. Now that I’m retired, I wear mostly earth tones, nothing that screams tactical (i.e. “shoot me first” in a robbery), and either work boots or hikers. Before I was a cop, I was obsessed with police hats, sweatshirts, et cetera. Not long after I got on the job, I realized that not everyone actually likes the police, so that came to an end quickly. I have participated in events like praying the rosary outside Planned Parenthood without having to wear the t-shirt that goes along with it. I don’t wear shirts that advocate gun rights, but I could still go to a gun rights rally. I don’t think being anonymous keeps you from exercising your rights; it just doesn’t need to be on the shirt you wear.

4.Keep stickers and magnets off the car. Similar to above, I don’t put stickers or magnets on my car that state my political beliefs either. Similar to the family type magnets or what school my kid goes to, no one needs to guess that I’m probably carrying a gun because I have five NRA stickers on my bumper. While we’re at it, maybe take off that license plate frame the dealer loves to put on every car they sell. First of all, why am I giving them free advertising? Secondly, no one needs to know where you got your car, since most of us buy them near where we live.

5.Don’t drive a flashy, distinctive car. Speaking of cars, driving a flashy or distinctive car is definitely anti-anonymity. After I retired from law enforcement, I was a private investigator for a few years. At that time, we just happened to own a navy minivan that was about eight years old and a grey Ford sedan that was about the same age. Talk about perfect cars for PI work! I spent many hours in the back of the minivan, seats folded flat, sitting on a lawn chair, watching worker’s compensation scammers ply their trade. When I wasn’t on surveillance, the Ford was great for riding around in to conduct interviews or accident investigations. If I drove a lifted Ford F-150 with 35” mudders on it, I probably would not be too successful at sneaking around. Which car are people going to remember driving down their street?

6.Avoid publicity as much as possible. As stated above, it’s much harder in the Internet age to do so than it was when I was growing up. My name still appears online in regards to some old cases I worked on and in things related to my old department. There’s nothing I can do about that. However, when I was invited to appear as an audience member on a national TV show in regards to the gun control debate, I politely declined.

7.Recognize that some times you will be exposed. No matter how hard you try to be anonymous, it’s very difficult and sometimes you’ll be identified through no fault of your own. My wife joined a local organization and became its president after a few years. Unbeknownst to her until a year or so after her term was up, the national organization that oversees the locals had put all of the officer’s names, addresses, and phone numbers online! This was prior to our PI business being up and running, and it was during the time where we had moved away from the area where our PO Box was and we were only getting mail at our house. I think she was more upset than I was, mostly because her job sometimes requires her to deal with some angry people, so she wasn’t too keen on our address being so public. Again, we can’t control everything.

8.Don’t be completely forthcoming when talking to people you don’t know. As an introvert, I don’t have too much problem with this, since I don’t spend much time engaged in conversation with strangers. But, even if you are an extroverted type of person, try to avoid giving your life story to everyone you meet. Most people are just being polite when they ask where you live or what you do and don’t have any evil motives. Even then, it doesn’t mean you have to give out your address. Even now, to people I meet who may ask, I generalize where I live by describing its close relation to the next town over, but that description is pretty broad in reality. I can always tell someone more about myself later if necessary, but I can’t “untell” them anything once it’s out of my mouth.

9.Don’t attract attention to yourself by being the big mouth at the event or the one who is complaining loudly about some perceived bad treatment you received. This doesn’t mean not to complain if it’s warranted; just don’t make a big scene when it’s not necessary (and it’s usually not). In this day and age, you can bet your tirade will be on YouTube or someone’s Facebook page as soon as you’re done ranting.

10.Don’t post anything online using your real name. I often see people posting on various websites with what appear to be real names and in some cases definitely are. I used to read one investigation related website that required real names! Note I said “read” as I would never have posted there or anywhere else with my real name. Some people claim it makes it harder for people to hide behind their pen names, which is probably true, but it’s also dumb. Luckily, Survival Blog allows and encourages us to use pseudonyms when posting.

11.Get a shredder. We have had a shredder for many years, since way before they became really popular. Currently we have a small Fellowes brand shredder that cross cuts, which is way better than the old strip style shredding. Now they make ones that micro shred, which is even smaller than cross cutting.

12.Don’t use social media. If you’ve read Survival Blog for any amount of time, you are probably aware of social media and its downfalls. Facebook is notoriously bad at maintaining its users’ privacy. Don’t do it!

13.Turn off GPS tracking. I always keep my GPS software turned off on my phone and digital camera. One of my cop buddies used to tease me by telling me that I thought I was so important that someone would track me. I didn’t think that, but with the NSA listening to regular American’s phone calls, who knows who’s watching us anymore? Again, don’t give it away.

14.Select an Internet birth date. I have what I call an “Internet birthday”, which is not my real birthday. If something on the Internet requires my birthdate, it’s my Internet birthday that I put down. Make it something you’ll remember easily but that’s close enough to your own that you don’t make yourself too much younger or older. Also, be careful where you use it. I once used it for a particular company where I didn’t think it really mattered and then months later when trying to verify who I was the rep asked me for my birthday. I forgot I had used my Internet birthday. Oops! Luckily I was able to identify myself in other ways, but be more careful than I was. Plus, I get to admonish my family every year when no one wishes me a Happy Internet Birthday on that day!

15.Finally, don’t be paranoid. This probably sounds ironic, coming from someone who just described all of the things he does to remain anonymous, but as stated earlier, you can’t control everything. I used to do crime prevention surveys for residents of the town where I was a police officer. One of the things I used to tell our residents was, “if for some reason, someone wants to get into your house (as opposed to any house), they will, regardless of what you do.”

I hope this has been helpful to you in your quest to keep you and your family safe. I truly believe anonymity is an important part of being prepared.

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When Injustice Becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty

Lee Daiber
Activist Post

The entire world is waiting – watching for your signal, your cue. They wait for the call of your voice, the announcement of your arrival. This sleeping giant grows restless with unease. The silence breeds madness in the desperation of so many set in the very ways that inspire their own hopelessness – too dependent on the system around them to make the first steps toward liberation; too afraid to leave the comforts of miserable domestication by the state. It’s your voice they wait for, your initiative to take heed of your responsibilities to the world around you should you have the courage to take a stand in the face of overwhelming odds. After all, this is your future we are talking about.

Many of you may be students – some preparing to begin college, others perhaps already in the midst of pursuing a “higher education”. Regardless, you have no doubt noticed the unacceptably, unjustified high cost of tuition – the price you pay for a promising and semi-successful future. Yet, that promise (or illusion of promise) has become increasingly less convincing in a world where a high percentage of college graduates not only fail to find a career in their field of study, but a growing percentage end up so financially strapped from student loan debt and lack of sustainable income that they find themselves moving back in with their parents after four or more years of college education. What is the sense in accumulating massive amounts of debt pursuing a degree that provides absolutely zero certainty of financial well-being? You do not need a college education to wait tables or prepare fast-food orders, and yet a growing percentage of college graduates find themselves doing just that.

This is the new age - same as the last. War, poverty, violence, corruption and injustice plague our world and continue to spread throughout.

The system – this system in which we live has become destructive and violent. The machine that drives it is composed of the planet’s most powerful financial, governmental, and corporate entities pursuing even more power and profit. We have used our most incredible technological discoveries and scientific breakthroughs for means of destruction and financial gain, meanwhile suppressing advancements to free society from controlled resources. Domestic surveillance programs are expanding at a rapid pace by governments around the world with the United States seemingly taking the lead. All forms of digital communication are subject to being monitored without warrant or reason through programs like Trapwire, Stellar Wind, ARGUS and more. Your privacy is now a thing of the past all in the name of state-sanctioned “security” from the very threats that the state propagates and encourages you to fear.

This imperial system is racist, violent and murderous. Profit outweighs fairness and ethical practices. The financial growth and expansion of multinational corporations and institutions rests upon the shoulders of the people of this planet – crushing our backs beneath the demands of the system. Our livelihoods are minimalistic in comparison to the top echelons of big-business and world banking – a struggle that has encompassed the globe. We spend our lives pursuing fiat-currency – paper that holds no value other than that which is dictated by the very system that preys upon the common person.

These entities have infiltrated governments around the globe and impose great influence on policies and decisions; their interests pushed ahead of the interests of the people and often cause further suffering and/or injustice. Your livelihood, your quality of life and in many circumstances, the longevity of your life is dependent on your financial well-being – binding you to commit your obedient consent to the system which denies you of your basic human needs without first paying the price. Any decent, sensible human-being can understand the problem this entails. Chances are, deep down you already know something just isn’t right in this world.

The fact that this is the harsh reality is not your fault. The events that have come to pass that have led to our current situation were beyond your control and set in motion before many of you were even conceived. However, if you continue to stand idly by and allow these occurrences to take place without standing for what is right and just, without standing for a better future, then the truth of the matter is you will be all there is to blame. Stop settling for “just the way things are” – it does not have to be this way. Only in our own apathetic dismissal and inaction do we restrict ourselves to such confines. Do not make the same mistakes as previous generations. Resist society’s push to conform you into a set path that is clearly failing. Stand up for what is right – strive for a better world where fairness, justice and equality are doctrine, and compassion, empathy and sustainability are paramount.
Think outside the box. Question everything. Begin thinking in revolutionary ways. Forget everything you have been told. Is the current modus operandi the best way? The only way? What can you do to impact the world around you? Take the lead – set the example. Become actively engaged in the world around you and begin educating yourself not only with current world events, but look to history for lessons. Discover ways to become less dependent on the system and promote a much more self-sufficient lifestyle. Utilize technology in ways that empower you, your community and the world. Vast resources and information are at your disposal and the only thing that has prevented you from utilizing these materials is society’s push to focus on distraction and entertainment. Find enjoyment in dissent. Take pride in your activism and encourage others to do the same. Stop the mindless pursuit of self and instead practice empathy and compassion. Do what you can to make life better for others and find reward in your actions. After all, is a life lived for yourself more gratifying than a life lived for others? Will you be remembered for selfish, material success or for selfless commitment?

Where do go from here?

When one begins to recognize the faults and fallacies of our modern world, it is quite easy to become overwhelmed. You want to make a difference; you desire a change, and yet the concept of changing the world becomes such a large task that many simply choose to give up on the idea altogether. It is easy to see how we ended up where we are today when you realize this. However, with the advancements in technology and the opportunities brought to the table via the Internet, many of the traditional barriers and obstacles encountered by previous generations of activists and concerned citizens are a thing of the past. With the capability to bring people together from all over the planet and present ideas to the masses, the Internet provides us with nearly infinite possibilities, resources, tools and potential if only we utilize it properly and efficiently. Coupled with the efforts of traditional activism, i.e., flyer hanging, pamphlet disbursement and good old-fashioned demonstrations, marches and protests, we the people are capable of making a substantial impact - perhaps more so than we even give ourselves credit.

The true power in this world belongs to the people. We are the gears in the machine, the cogs that keep this system in motion. Our hands built the roads, buildings and other infrastructure. Our daily lives finance the operation of the machine. Simply put, we are holding all the keys and the only obstacles in our paths are ourselves. Our own manipulated perspectives of reality are holding us back, preventing us from stepping through the doorway to a more peaceful, reasonable existence. Never doubt the power of an informed people, actively engaged and fearlessly standing against injustice. The power that the people hold with civil acts of defiance are simple, efficient and effective and in the face of injustice, it is the duty of the people to stand firmly in opposition. Where do we go from here? Ultimately, we are the answer to our own question. We must turn to one another, recognize our common fate, our shared and equal existence on this planet and our shared duty to establish a more stable, sustainable way of life in harmony with our surroundings and with respect for our planet. We the people will either become our salvation from destruction, or our own demise.

A simple solution needs only commitment, organization, a plan of action and consistent momentum. Certainly nothing is ever accomplished without first making a commitment to not only become involved, but to stay involved through the process. We do not have the luxury of dismissing our own individual responsibilities, lest we ourselves become a part of the problem. Organization is key to success in most circumstances and certainly helps activists become more effective in their efforts. Obviously, if a movement of any variety lacked organization it would merely become a chaotic and ineffective mess. Strategy, planning and organization will provide a sense of solidarity and a clear direction for action. Most importantly, without continued dedication and momentum, even the most organized and planned out movements are doomed to stagnancy. To prevent this from happening and to assist in the first steps to addressing the problems, I will break down a simple plan for us to begin our path to true effective change in three basic steps.

Step 1: NETWORK
This is the most crucial step in the process and the foundation of everything that follows. Many of you may remember “show and tell” from your days in elementary school. This step is essentially just that, although a more appropriate name might be share and learn. In this step not only should you continue to actively pursue knowledge of the events unfolding in our world and be aware of elements of corruption and injustice, but share that information with others and in turn, listen to the knowledge others can share with you. Begin networking with like-minded individuals near and far (with a focus on those in your region for effective group-building). Organize flyer posting campaigns and head out on the streets to hang informational flyers and hand out pamphlets that will directly influence your local networking ability. This is your hub - your community. Those who join the cause with you locally will only further benefit your efforts in your region and provide further assistance on a large scale. As time passes, you will be able to build a closely-knit, efficient and organized local chapter of the world wide effort for change. Your group will be able to contribute both to your community and surrounding communities and to the global movement as a whole. All that is required of you is some of your time, commitment and a dedicated effort.

• Post flyers in your area: Inform others of the cause for concern. Encourage their involvement.
• Social Sharing: Never underestimate the power of social networking. Share information often and everywhere. This will help you locally and the movement as a whole.
• Utilize informative resources: Provide yourself and others with up-to-date news/events.
• Establish a communication point: Create a group for your area and direct those who join your local efforts to your group for quick and easy organization. This will benefit greatly as efforts begin to expand beyond local borders.
• Network and build your local group: Meet others in your area, join efforts and team up.
• Learn self-sufficient alternatives: Discover ways to become less dependent on the system.
• Assist with local community needs: You and your group can effectively help by assisting with local problems. Help with shelters, food banks and more.Learn to effectively work together to achieve goals that you set together.

Simply put: research all that you can. Share what you know and be sure to listen to others as well. Broaden your horizons and open your mind to new possibilities, ideas and suggestions. Get active by posting flyers and handing out pamphlets as often as you can. Make it easy to build your team by including a link or qr code on your pamphlets or flyers to direct others to your group. Begin working with your group to organize efforts locally. Develop new relationships with others and learn to work as a team. Develop or utilize alternative methods/practices, such as urban/guerrilla gardening to reduce your dependency on the system. Most important, have fun! Be creative in your activism, find enjoyment in your actions, and take pride in knowing you are standing up for your rights!

Step 2: ORGANIZE
Once you have established your local team/group, begin reaching out to other groups to organize your efforts. Broaden your reach and your objectives. Begin working with groups around the world to formulate a (non-violent) course of action. As momentum grows not only should your local group continue to expand, but more groups will begin to launch and expand globally. As this occurs, we will begin to organize this growing community as a whole by implementing tools for an online polling system where we can each have our say and cast our vote on decisions pertaining to the direction of our movement, objectives to pursue, event planning and more.

Our efforts to expand our movement and our reach will continue with increasing momentum and effectiveness. Throughout this process we will host events, contests and more to encourage and reward achievements and efforts. Planning for the next phase of the process will begin as an open-forum discussion where input, ideas and suggestions are welcome and encouraged.

• Continue local group efforts: Strive to set a leading example of teamwork and leadership within your community. Inspire change through action.
• Establish joint efforts: Begin networking with other groups and collectively working together to develop new events, campaigns and ideas.
• Protect yourself with knowledge: Become familiar with your rights.
• Establish representation: Implement an online polling system allowing for voting.
• Plan for the future: Begin planning and organizing mass acts of civil non-compliance. Simple, effective, non-violent demonstrations of our unanimous disapproval and our refusal to continue to participate and allow this current destructive system of operation.

Step 3: MOBILIZE

The on-going efforts that result from our work and progress up to this point. Determined by vote and community planning, we take action as a global voice that is truly for the people and by the people. Whether it be mass boycotts or global protests, now is the time we stand together, united for a better world and a more promising, sustainable way of life - free of the violence, oppression and greed that exists within our world at present.

The ball is in our court

Where we go from here is entirely up to us. Now is a time that we need to take a step back and take a good look at the state of the world around us, the path we are taking. The big picture. We must ask ourselves some tough questions and search deep for the right answers. Can we continue down this same path much longer? Are we ready to stand together? Can we achieve far greater than this? Or are we doomed to our own destruction? We are free to decide our own destiny.

Albert Camus once said “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”

No authority can neither give nor take your freedom. The truth is, you are already absolutely free. It merely comes down to a simple choice: Do you choose to live free, or submit to the unjust rule of a governing few?

** Lee Daiber is the creator and administrator of the Freedom Informant Network. He is an undergraduate student majoring in digital media production with a minor in journalism. Lee is a veteran of the US Navy and is dedicated to pursuing a better world free of the corruption, injustice and control that exists today.

40 Statistics About The Fall Of The U.S. Economy That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe

Michael Snyder
Activist Post

If you know someone that actually believes that the U.S. economy is in good shape, just show them the statistics in this article. When you step back and look at the long-term trends, it is undeniable what is happening to us. We are in the midst of a horrifying economic decline that is the result of decades of very bad decisions.

30 years ago, the U.S. national debt was about one trillion dollars. Today, it is almost 17 trillion dollars. 40 years ago, the total amount of debt in the United States was about 2 trillion dollars.  Today, it is more than 56 trillion dollars. At the same time that we have been running up all of this debt, our economic infrastructure and our ability to produce wealth has been absolutely gutted.  Since 2001, the United States has lost more than 56,000 manufacturing facilities and millions of good jobs have been shipped overseas.

Our share of global GDP declined from 31.8 percent in 2001 to 21.6 percent in 2011.  The percentage of Americans that are self-employed is at a record low, and the percentage of Americans that are dependent on the government is at a record high.  The U.S. economy is a complete and total mess, and it is time that we faced the truth.

The following are 40 statistics about the fall of the U.S. economy that are almost too crazy to believe...

#1 Back in 1980, the U.S. national debt was less than one trillion dollars.  Today, it is rapidly approaching 17 trillion dollars...

#2 During Obama's first term, the federal government accumulated more debt than it did under the first 42 U.S presidents combined.

#3 The U.S. national debt is now more than 23 times larger than it was when Jimmy Carter became president.

#4 If you started paying off just the new debt that the U.S. has accumulated during the Obama administration at the rate of one dollar per second, it would take more than 184,000 years to pay it off.

#5 The federal government is stealing more than 100 million dollars from our children and our grandchildren every single hour of every single day.

#6 Back in 1970, the total amount of debt in the United States (government debt + business debt + consumer debt, etc.) was less than 2 trillion dollars.  Today it is over 56 trillion dollars...

#7 According to the World Bank, U.S. GDP accounted for 31.8 percent of all global economic activity in 2001.  That number dropped to 21.6 percent in 2011.

#8 The United States has fallen in the global economic competitiveness rankings compiled by the World Economic Forum for four years in a row.

#9 According to The Economist, the United States was the best place in the world to be born into back in 1988.  Today, the United States is only tied for 16th place.

#10 Incredibly, more than 56,000 manufacturing facilities in the United States have been permanently shut down since 2001.

#11 There are less Americans working in manufacturing today than there was in 1950 even though the population of the country has more than doubled since then.

#12 According to the New York Times, there are now approximately 70,000 abandoned buildings in Detroit.
#13 When NAFTA was pushed through Congress in 1993, the United States had a trade surplus with Mexico of 1.6 billion dollars.  By 2010, we had a trade deficit with Mexico of 61.6 billion dollars.

#14 Back in 1985, our trade deficit with China was approximately 6 million dollars (million with a little "m") for the entire year.  In 2012, our trade deficit with China was 315 billion dollars.  That was the largest trade deficit that one nation has had with another nation in the history of the world.

#15 Overall, the United States has run a trade deficit of more than 8 trillion dollars with the rest of the world since 1975.

#16 According to the Economic Policy Institute, the United States is losing half a million jobs to China every single year.

#17 Back in 1950, more than 80 percent of all men in the United States had jobs.  Today, less than 65 percent of all men in the United States have jobs.

#18 At this point, an astounding 53 percent of all American workers make less than $30,000 a year.

#19 Small business is rapidly dying in America.  At this point, only about 7 percent of all non-farm workers in the United States are self-employed.  That is an all-time record low.

#20 Back in 1983, the bottom 95 percent of all income earners in the United States had 62 cents of debt for every dollar that they earned.  By 2007, that figure had soared to $1.48.

#21 In the United States today, the wealthiest one percent of all Americans have a greater net worth than the bottom 90 percent combined.

#22 According to Forbes, the 400 wealthiest Americans have more wealth than the bottom 150 million Americans combined.

#23 The six heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton have as much wealth as the bottom one-third of all Americans combined.

#24 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 146 million Americans are either "poor" or "low income".

#25 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 49 percent of all Americans live in a home that receives direct monetary benefits from the federal government.  Back in 1983, less than a third of all Americans lived in a home that received direct monetary benefits from the federal government.

#26 Overall, the federal government runs nearly 80 different "means-tested welfare programs", and at this point more than 100 million Americans are enrolled in at least one of them.

#27 Back in 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid.  Today, one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid, and things are about to get a whole lot worse.  It is being projected that Obamacare will add 16 million more Americans to the Medicaid rolls.

#28 As I wrote recently, it is being projected that the number of Americans on Medicare will grow from 50.7 million in 2012 to 73.2 million in 2025.

#29 At this point, Medicare is facing unfunded liabilities of more than 38 trillion dollars over the next 75 years.  That comes to approximately $328,404 for every single household in the United States.

#30 Right now, there are approximately 56 million Americans collecting Social Security benefits.  By 2035, that number is projected to soar to an astounding 91 million.

#31 Overall, the Social Security system is facing a 134 trillion dollar shortfall over the next 75 years.

#32 Today, the number of Americans on Social Security Disability now exceeds the entire population of Greece, and the number of Americans on food stamps now exceeds the entire population of Spain.

#33 According to a report recently issued by the Pew Research Center, on average Americans over the age of 65 have 47 times as much wealth as Americans under the age of 35.

#34 U.S. families that have a head of household that is under the age of 30 have a poverty rate of 37 percent.

#35 As I mentioned recently, the homeownership rate in America is now at its lowest level in nearly 18 years.

#36 There are now 20.2 million Americans that spend more than half of their incomes on housing.  That represents a 46 percent increase from 2001.

#37 45 percent of all children are living in poverty in Miami, more than 50 percent of all children are living in poverty in Cleveland, and about 60 percent of all children are living in poverty in Detroit.

#38 Today, more than a million public school students in the United States are homeless.  This is the first time that has ever happened in our history.

#39 When Barack Obama first entered the White House, about 32 million Americans were on food stamps.  Now, more than 47 million Americans are on food stamps.

#40 According to one calculation, the number of Americans on food stamps now exceeds the combined populations of "Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming."

This article first appeared at the Economic Collapse.  Michael Snyder is a writer, speaker and activist who writes and edits his own blogs The American Dream and Economic Collapse Blog.

Herbs and their medicinal uses

 This post is long, but well worth the read. It is a little off of the norm for this blog, but I feel that in an extended SHTF/WROL/TEOTWAWKI scenario, there will not be many forms of traditional medicines. We will have to resort to herbalism to remedy ourselves. Normally I would have said this is some hippie tree hugger stuff, but it is for real, and will be our only way we have of healing ourselves and our loved ones. I feel this information is worth the read. I did not write this myself, and I have given my reference at the bottom of the article, I just felt that I owed it to my readers to post this up and maybe open their eyes to this concept.

Enjoy...


USING MEDICINAL HERBS 
 
Using medicinal herbs should be educational, fun and why not magic. You can treat some of your minor conditions as well as your families, but remember safety comes first.
All you need is a teapot, and a couple of pots or sauce pans, herbal tinctures can be purchased in a herbal store or you can make some with vodka.

Herbal medicine was born at home out of necessity, to treat conditions many thousands of years ago and is as old as humans. It is the medicine of the people, for the people, by the people, available to all anywhere and has evolved from an empirical art into a scientific art. As a trained medical herbalist I use traditional family knowledge, historical information as well as modern scientific information to work with my clients.

Even though most the herbs are safe most of the time, there are some with potential toxicity and it is advisable to consult with a trained medical/clinical herbalist when in doubt, remember that self diagnosis and self medication with herbs is not recommended. If you have a condition that you would normally treat with over the counter medication and would not go to the doctor with, probably can be treated at home with herbs. Any conditions that are aggravated or persistent required professional help.

INTERACTIONS - remember that there are certain risks associated with the combination of herbal remedies and prescription drugs, normally anybody taking a prescription drugs should consult a qualified herbalist before taking herbal remedies, and please never stop taking prescribed drugs without discussing the particulars with the prescribing physician.
 
The following are some of the conditions that can be treated safely at home.
Indigestion, constipation, colds and flu, mouth ulcers sore throats, lack of energy, yeast infections, bladder infections, scratches, minor skin infections, boils and pimples, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, stress, menstrual cramps, aching muscles, stiff joints, tension headaches. 
 
Some conditions which required professional assistance are:
 
Severe pain in the abdomen and chest
Severe pain in the limbs
Severe headaches
Blood in urine or stool
Coughing of blood 
Fainting
Shortness of breath without cause
Injuries caused by accidents
Persistent diarrhea
Persistent weakness
Persistent coughs
Eye injuries

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT  HERBS
Some type of selection criteria is a must to choose the right herb for the specific herbal remedy required. There are over half a million plants that can be used in  healing remedies, medical herbalist usually use about 350 different herbs in their practice. Some set of guidelines has to be used  to whittle down from half a million herbs to a more realistic number, but how?
 
HERBAL CLASSIFICATIONS
 
Medicinal herbs can be classified in different ways according to needs. They can be listed by:
Alphabetical order - Marigold, Chamomile, Echinacea, etc.
Botanical family (Taxonomic) - Compositae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, Laminaceae, etc.
Constituents (Biochemical)- alkaloids, tannins, coumarins, iridoids etc.
Plant parts (Morphological) - whole plant, seeds, root, flowers etc.
Therapeutic effects - tonics, astringents, diaphoretics, diuretics etc.
Geographical - American, Asian, European, etc.

When choosing your herbs for medicinal purposes, the constituents and therapeutic effects are the most important. 

ACTION BASED - it is the easiest way for anyone to begin using herbs. All the herbs have biochemical action/s and specific effects in the body. Knowing these actions and the specific pathology will help you decide which actions are required and then which herbs will deliver these actions.
 
Some of the most used actions are:

Alteratives
 
Herbs that will slowly restore the proper function of the body increasing health and vitality. This may sound  unclear, but their value is certain. They act by altering the metabolic body's processes so tissues can be dealt with a range of  processes from nutrition to elimination. E.g.. Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia), Blood root (Sanguinaria canadensis), Golden seal (hydrastis canadensis).
 
Anti-microbials 

Anti-microbial herbs can help the body to destroy or resist pathogenic micro-organisms, topically as in skin infections and internally for systemic infections. E.g. Garlic (Allium sativum), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Sage (Salvia officinalis).
 
Anti-inflammatory

Herbs/constituents that aid the body to fight inflammation in different areas. E.g. Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), Turmeric (Curcuma longa) White willow (Salix alba), Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa), Marigold (Calendula officinalis).

Astringents

Remedies that contain constituents that have a binding action on mucous membranes, skin and other exposed tissue. They contract blood vessels and some body tissues (mucous membranes) with the effect of reducing secretion and excretions. Astringents are sometimes used to stop external or internal bleeding. E.g. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Couchgrass (Agropyron repens), Tormentil (Potentilla tormentilla), Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

Bitters
 
Very important to the digestive system, these are remedies that have a bitter taste which triggers a sensory response in the mouth that is directed by the nerves to the central nervous system. From there a message goes to the stomach increasing the digestive hormone gastrin, leading to a great range of ramifications of value to the digestive process and general body health. E.g. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), Gentian (Gentiana lutea), Centaury (Erythraea centaurium).

Anti-Spasmodic

Anti-spasmodics help by preventing or easing spasms or cramps in the muscles, they also reduce tension in the body, and many of them are also nervines, sometimes they will also ease psychological tension. E.g. Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata), Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Cramp bark (Viburnum opulus), Lobelia (Lobelia inflata), Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)

Carminatives

Carminatives are herbal remedies that have a high content of volatile oils, they are used to stimulate the digestive system to work properly. They are very effective to expel gas and easing griping pains from the stomach and the intestines, they also tone the mucous surfaces and increase peristaltic action (esophagus, stomach and intestine movement, which propels its contents onward). 
They are also used with other herbs to make formulations more palatable, carminatives are also known as aromatics. E.g. Aniseed  (Pimpinella anisum), Caraway  (Carum carvi), Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Fennel  (Foeniculum vulgare), Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Peppermint (Mentha piperita).

Demulcents

Demulcent are herbs rich in mucilage which can soothe and protect irritated or inflamed internal tissues (mucous surfaces). If they are used on the skin, demulcents are called emollients, which have a protective and soothing action upon the surface of the body. E.g. Corn Silk (Zea mays), Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis), Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva), Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Diuretics

Diuretics are herbs that increase the flow of urine from the kidneys, excreting excess fluid from the body, they will not cause potassium depletion or stress the kidneys. As these are herbs which offer some beneficial action in the urinary system, they can also include urinary demulcents and anti-inflammatory herbs. E.g.  Dandelion leaf (Taraxacum off. folia), Celery (Apium graveolens), Corn silk (Zea mays), Couchgrass (Agropyron repens), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Expectorants

Expectorants are herbs that aid the body to remove excess mucous from the lungs by stimulating the cleansing activities of the lungs. E.g. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Elecampane (Inula helenium), Marshmallow (Althea officinalis), Pleurisy Root  (Asclepias tuberosa), Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina).

Nervines

Nervines are plant remedies that have a beneficial effect/s in the nervous system, some of the different types of nervines are: tonics, relaxing, stimulating, antispasmodics, antidepressant, analgesic.
 
Nervine tonics - Oats (Avena sativa), St. Johns Wort (hypericum perforatum), Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora).

Nervine relaxants - Vervain (Verbene officinalis), Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

Antispasmodics - Valerian (valeriana officinalis), Viburnum (Viburnum opulus).

Anti-depressants - Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis), Oats (Avena sativa), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Analgesics - Jamaican Dogwood (Piscidia erythrina), Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa), Wild Yam  (Dioscorea villosa).

Energy enhancers

Energy enhancers are herbs that strengthen, and tonic herbs which support the adrenal glands, thyroid and nervous tissue. E.g.. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), Gotu kola (Centella asiatica), Kelp (Fucus vesiculosis), Ginseng (Panax ginseng).

Circulatory stimulants

Herbal remedies which dilate the blood vessels, strengthen the heart and enhance circulation. They can direct the action to a specific area of the body, limbs or central organs, these herbs could be warming in nature.  E.g. Ginger (Zingiber officinalis), Prickly ash (Zanthoxylum spp.), Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis), Cayenne (Capsicum minimum).

Uterine tonic 

Herbs that strengthen and tonify the uterine muscle and lining, some will improve the circulation to these organs, useful to restore normal menses. E.g.. Black Haw (Viburnum prunifolium), Partridge Berry (Mitchella repens), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Ladies Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) 

BUILDING YOUR FORMULA
Building formulas is educational and fun. Normally we use more than one herb, as the synergy of the herbs will be stronger acting for the condition, at the same time don't use too many herbs in a formula as it is more effective to give more quantity of a few herbs than very small amounts of many herbs.

In most cases you will find that between 4 or 6 herbs will accomplish the objective, and will give you the herbal actions required for most cases.

The first step would be to find the herbal actions required for the condition, remember don't treat the symptoms, try to find the causes of the problem. If you want to treat the symptoms they can be treated parallel to the cause ( with a second formula), specially if you need to take care of some relief, while the main formula works.

Once you have identified the actions required, make a list of the herbs that you know have these actions, if you see herbs that appear in more than one category those will be ones to use. There will be other herbs that are more specific to the condition or body area required, these specific herbs are also good candidates to be used in the formula.

Traditionally a herbal formulation should contain:

• 2 to 3 parts of specific herbs particular for the condition 
• 1 part of herbs which are relaxing/soothing for the affected area or to the nerves in general 
• 1 part of herbs which are tonic & strengthening to the affected area or system. 
• 1 part of herbs which will aid the eliminative/alternative/depurative areas concerned.

Proportions in the formulation can be adjusted to provide more potency to some herbs, you can also enhance actions by the herbal synergy's of the formulation, usually the herbs have several actions that will help clear the condition and to give more versatility while making formulation.
All you need is some practice and interest and you will see how the formulations can be made without too much problem. Remember you can have fun while doing it.

EXAMPLE OF FORMULA BUILDING
 
Your brother will be  going through final exams soon at the university, he has anxiety, is tired, and is lacking concentration, he also has stomach acidity from the tension, and needs help to be at his best for the approaching exams. 
 

You could use the following actions: Energy enhancers - Gotu kola (Centella asiatica)  Nervine relaxants - Vervain (Verbene officinalis)  Nervine tonics - Oats (Avena sativa)  Circulatory stimulants - Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis)  Demulcents - Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Formula Amounts 20% 25% 20% 15% 20%

DOSAGESThere are important factors to take in consideration when trying to establish the dosage for a herbal medicine. 
 

• The first factor is: Type of herbs used in formula , potency, toxic levels if any?
• Type of condition, is acute?, severe?, normally the worse or acute the condition the more medicine you will give.
• Body size, weight, height, we will not give the same dosage to a football player weighing 250 pounds, as we would give to a frail older person.
• Absorption, distribution, elimination, are very important, an older person will required less dosage than a 30 year old, as age slows the absorption, distribution and elimination. Also the digestive condition will affect the dosage, constipation and sluggishness will require lower dosages as herbs will remain longer in the system just like with older people.
• Diarrhea will require larger dosages as herbs will not remain long in the system therefore absorption may be limited. HI metabolic rates and fevers may require also higher dosages. 

Usually the best time to take herbal medicines is half hour before meals, to maximize absorption. Remember that dosages may vary from herb to herb.

TEAS: usually 3 cups a day of tea will be a normal dosage. For preparation use 1 teaspoon of total  herb/s per each cup of tea to be prepared. Try to prepare the tea daily, rather than a big batch to last for several days, as teas tend to get mouldy very quick.

TINCTURES: the strength of the tincture is important here, normal therapeutic strength for medicinal herbs is 1:3 to 1:5, if so use i tsp. (5 ml) three times a day.

CREAMS/SALVES/INFUSED OILS: these can be applied often during the day, unless the area to be applied is painful.

CHILDREN DOSAGES:
 
Babies 1 to 5 years old, 1 to 5 teaspoons for a tea.
Children 5 to 12 years old, one quarter to half adult dose, after 12 year old they usually get adult dosages.

The above dosages are suggestions for normal conditions, please read the instructions of the herbal medicines to be given to children and provide the dosages recommended, when in doubt consult a qualified Medical/clinical herbalist. Also consult the children section in this site for more detailed information about herbal tincture dosages for children.
 
 



HERB'S QUALITY
In order to have an effective herbal medicine, the quality of the product is of the upmost importance, whether dried, tincture, salve, cream, or infused oil, if the herbs are not of excellent quality the medicine is not going to be as effective as expected.

The herbs should be organic if possible, sometimes it is very hard to find all the herbs required organic, so do your best to find them. If not available, non-organic herbs have to have the proper characteristics of the herb, such as:

The color of the dried herb should be the same as when the herb was fresh, brown herbs may denote improper drying process and may be oxidized. The smell of the herb should have the same characteristics of the smell of the fresh herb. Herbs should look clean and free of debris. If processed (powder, cut) the herb should look clean and properly processed.

Buy your herbs from reputable stores that have a quick inventory rotation to make sure that the herbs have not being sitting in the store forever, when in doubt question the store staff as to origin and quality of the herbs to be purchased. Prepacked herbs may have been in a bag too long, buy  bulk herbs when possible.

The same goes for other medicinal products like tinctures, salves, creams, and oils, buy from reputable companies, check for the expiry dates before purchasing, if in doubt ask questions about quality and products ingredients.

Tinctures should always be marked on the label for strength (ratios of herb to alcohol) as well as alcohol content, which is the alcohol % that is the best to extract the active constituents of the herb, so it should look something like this on the label (example):

Marigold
(Calendula officinalis)
1:5 (strength)   90% (alcohol)In tinctures the strength is very important as it will determine the effectiveness of the product for medicinal use as well as the dosage, therefore always follow the label instruction for dosages or the advice of your medical/clinical herbalist.

HERBAL REMEDY'S STORAGE
DRIED HERBS
 
All dried herbs are sensitive to heat, light, oxygen and water. Herbs have to be stored in airtight glass containers to retain their freshness, to stop humidity (molding), and to stop the dissipation of the herb's constituents into the air.

Amber glass jars are excellent to store herbs, if you can not find any, store your herbs in any glass jar, paper bags or plastic bags that are not airtight as plastic fumes will contaminate your herbs. As soon as you place your herbs in a glass container put a sticker with the name of the herb and the date.
I don't like my herbs to touch metal during storage or while making a tea, as they may react with the metals and oxidize, thus I don't recommend tin cans to store them. Regardless of the way that you store your herbs, they will slowly lose their potency and ultimately become worthless, don't use any herbs that are more than 8 months to a year old.

TINCTURES
 
Normally tinctures are purchased in dark glass bottles, so store them away from the sun light in a dark cool place, as they contain alcohol they do not need refrigeration, if your tincture is not made with alcohol, follow the recommendation on the label.
Alcohol tinctures last 4 to 5 years if stored correctly, but refer to the expiry date on the label to be sure.

SALVES, CREAMS AND INFUSED OILS
 
These types of herbal remedies are more prompt to loose their properties or become rancid or spoiled, be sure to refer to the labels expiry date, if there is no expiry date use your sense of smell and look at the product to see if there is any separation of the ingredients.
If unsure do not use it and buy a new one, the following is a basic time table for normal expiration time of well made products. Remember ultimately, the ingredients, quality and the manufacturing process of the product determines the shelf life.

SALVES - 2 years
CREAMS - 2 years
INFUSED OILS - 1 year

HERBAL REMEDIES USAGE
 There are many ways to use herbal remedies and they vary in strength and ease of use, also the condition to be treated and  the purpose of the herbal medicine may dictate which type  of  remedy should be used.

There are internal and external herbal remedies, the strongest and fastest way to get herbal remedies into your systems is by using tinctures, teas are generally not as strong as tinctures but occasionally are necessary as we shall see.

INTERNAL REMEDIES
There are many ways of making internal remedies, but as with all of them, it is very important how you make them so you can end up with a high quality herbal medicine.
Types of internal medicines:
1. Tincture preparations
2. Water-based preparations
3. Syrups, lozenges, elixirs and other liquid formulations
4. Fresh or dried herbs

TINCTURES
 
Medical/Clinical herbalists use this type of medicine more often, as it is stronger than water extractions, easier to take, and they have a long shelf life, if store correctly they can last up to 4 years. 

They are made by macerating (soaking) a dried or fresh herb in a mix of water and alcohol for 2 weeks, it is shaken daily for those 2 weeks and then is strained and placed in a dark bottle. Normally tinctures are made with alcohol but occasionally glycerin or vinegar  can be used.
Tinctures are made according to descriptions in a Pharmacopoeia, different plants have different requirements for the alcohol strength required to extract the active constituents of the plant, most of the herbs use 25% (e.g. Dandelion), some need 45% (e.g. Echinacea), 60% (e.g. Boldo) or up to 90% (e.g. Myrrh, Marigold).

In Canada, due to taxation, alcohol is very expensive so Vodka can be use to make tinctures, vodka’s alcohol content is 45% so most of the tinctures can use it.
Tinctures may also be made with vinegar as the acetic acid in the vinegar will act as a preservative and solvent similar to alcohol.

Glycerin based tinctures have several advantages,  are child friendly, can be taken by people that can not take alcohol, and are easy on the digestive tract. There are a few disadvantages: resins or oily materials don’t dissolve as good as in alcohol, and the strength of the tincture is not as good as in alcohol based one. 

 The standard strength of a tincture is 1:5, (one part of died herb to 5 parts of the water alcohol mix), other tinctures are made at a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3, or a weaker 1:10. I prefer a tincture that is, 1:3 or 1:4 as this is the best therapeutic strength for most herbal medicines (except for restricted herbs).
A herbal prescription is usually made with 4 to 6 herbs,  which synergistic-ally work better than a single tincture. A normal dosage of a herbal formulation is 5 ml taken 3 times a day (depending on the herbs used).

WATER BASED PREPARATIONS
INFUSIONS 
 
If you know how to make tea you can make an infusion, it is the easiest way to prepare a herbal medicine at home. You use this method to prepare leaves, flowers and any soft part of a plant 
Place 1 teaspoon of the dried herb or 3 three teaspoons of the fresh herb in a cup, and pour over 1 cup of freshly boiled water. Steep it 10 min. then strain off and drink. Lemon and honey may be added but don't use milk. 

Take 3 cups of the tea a day, the cooled infusion can also be used as a skin wash, for skin infections or inflammations, or as a mouth wash and gargle for sore throats, mouth ulcers and oral infections. 
If  you are combining 2 or more herbs to make your infusion you would generally use equal parts of each herb to give a total of 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of water, unless otherwise indicated. 

DECOCTIONS
 
When the herbs to be used are hard such as, roots, seeds, barks, stems and particularly thick or tough leaves, it is better to make a decoction as the cell walls are very strong and they required a stronger method to extract the active constituents.

The proportions are the same as for the infusion (1 teaspoon to 1 cup) but the herb is placed in a glass, enamel or stainless steel pan, covered with the cold water and brought to a boil. Keeping the pan tightly covered allow it to simmer for 5 to 15 min then strain off and drink. 

You can use a decoction and infusions in the same way, and dosages are usually the same. If you are making a mixture of soft and hard herbs, make a decoction of the hard herbs first, then use the decoction to pour over the soft part to make an infusion.

USAGES OF INFUSIONS/DECOCTIONS 
 
As a tea taken internally. 
As a skin wash for inflammations, infections or blisters. 
As a douche or enema. 
As a hair rinse for scalp conditions. 
As a mouth wash or gargle for sore throats or mouth infections. 
As a hand or foot bath. 

JUICES
 
This is one of the most effective ways to take herbs internally, as you are getting absolutely all the goodness from the plant. Juices are made from fresh plants, and a good juicer is essential (and they are not cheap): I recommend the Champion. The main drawback with juices is that they start oxidizing as soon as you make them and lose their potency. They can be preserved in the fridge for a few hours but the best way to preserve them for longer periods is to combine the juice with an equal part of glycerin (available from the health food store). This will give them a shelf life of around 6 months. 

Dosages of juice required will vary according to the herbs used, a general guideline is one 5 ml. teaspoon 2 - 3 times a day for the juice and glycerin mixture, or proportionately less for children.

CAPSULES 
 
If you don’t like to be bother with making teas, or if the tea taste is not very good, you can make capsules. They are very easy to make by grinding the herbs to a fine powder (a mortar or a coffee grinder works well). This guarantees that the cell walls are largely broken down, and helps in the digestion and absorption of the herb, then use the powder to fill empty vegetable or gelatin capsules. 
The size of capsules should be “00”, holds about 0.5 grams, they are available in health food stores, normally you can take 2 to 3 of these capsules a day.

Capsules should not be used for children, nor where the action of the herbs is to promote and enhance digestion, many of the digestive herbs are bitters and work by reflex responses to their bitter taste. 
How to make a capsule:

 Place the powdered herbs in a small flat dish and take the halves of the capsule apart.
 Move the halves of the capsules through the powder, filling them in the process.
 Push the halves together and close them.

EXTERNAL REMEDIES
The skin is the largest organ of the body, and one of the great abilities of this organ is absorption, several methods of herbal medicine have been developed to take advantage of this fact.
There are creams, salves, baths, liniments, oils, compress and poultices. These remedies are very effective and versatile to treat innumerable conditions, as a sole remedy or combination of internal and external therapy.

CREAMS
 
You have to start with a good cream base, preferably unscented and able to accept the herbs in liquid form without loosing its consistency, then you can add up to 10 or 15% (total amount) of tincture, essential oils or infused oils desired, a little at a time while stirring the mix well and then store in jars.

SALVES /OINTMENTS
 
Semisolid preparations, which can be applied to the skin. There are many ways of making salves depending  on the final use intended, they may vary in texture, from very thick and greasy to softer more cream like texture.

Any herb can be used for making ointments, the following are only some examples of great value for external use.

Marigold (Calendula  officinalis)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) 
Arnica (Arnica montana) 
Plantain (Plantago major)
Chickweed (Stellaria media) 
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) 
Slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) 

The easiest way to make a salve is by using Vaseline or a similar petroleum jelly as a base. This easy method has a disadvantage of being an inorganic base, but the advantage is that it is very easy to handle and available anytime, so it can be made very quickly.

The simple method to make a salve with Vaseline is to simmer 2 tablespoons of the desired herb/s in 200 grams of Vaseline for about 15 minutes stirring well, sift  it through a cheese cloth or fine gauze, pour the liquid into a jar and seal it after it has cooled. 

To make a more professional salve, use 500 ml of an herb/s infused oil, place in a stainless steel pan and gently warm the infused oil, add aprox. 60 g. of bees wax (grated), once it is melted place in jars, if you have time this is the preferred method to make a salve properly.

BATHS
 
Any herb that can be used internally can also be used in a bath. Herbal baths are very effective for babies as well as adults. Baths are very relaxing, healing and soothing, you can prepare an infusion and poured it into the bath water, or you can place the herbs in cheese cloth and place it in the hot water, usually 30 grams (total) of herb/s is enough. You can also use Essential oils in your baths.

Bath suggestions
 
To aid your sleep - Hops (Humulus lupulus), Linden flowers (Tilia europea), Lavender (Lavandula off.), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis).
General tonic - Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). 
Hyperactive children - Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) , Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Rheumatic joints - Mustard, (Brassica nigra) (2 teaspoons)

For a relaxing and exquisitely scented bath, infusions can be made of:
Linden (Tilia europea), Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), Rosemary  (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Other ideas are :
Relaxing bath – Lavender (Lavandula off.), German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Linden (Tilia europea) 
Children relaxing bath -  Roman Chamomile (Matricaria recutita),  Linden (Tilia europea), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

INFUSED OILS
 
Infused oils can be used directly on the skin, as a massage blend, or to make salves or creams, they are very versatile and easy to make.

Use a clean dry glass jar, pack the herbs to be used loosely inside of the jar, if using fresh herbs make sure that they have being picked when there is no dew or rain on them, they have to be dry.  Fill the jar to the brim with a carrier oil such as almond oil or olive oil, tightly close the jar, and leave it to stand on a window sill (facing the daily sun) for about 2 weeks, shake it and turn it daily.

At the end of this period strain the oil and store it in a tightly closed bottle/jar and placed it in a cool dry place (don't forget to put on a sticker with the herb/s name and the date).

Use these oils to treat skin afflictions, by using different herbs you can make oils useful to treat conditions such as shingles, arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, scars, etc.

POULTICE FOMENTATIONS AND COMPRESSES
 
Very useful when you have to apply herbs directly onto the skin, to treat a skin condition, to soften tissue, to alleviate pain or inflammation. Specially effective in treating joint problems such as arthritis, as they will increase the blood supply to the joints which sometimes can not be reached by internal medicines. 

They can be made from a piece of cloth, compresses can be applied hot or cold, poultices are always applied hot. 

Compresses are made using an infusion or decoction of the herb/s, in which you soak a piece of flannel or towel,  you can bandage it around the area to be treated, normally a compress is refreshed every 15/20 minutes, the application can last from 1 to 4 hours. Herbs commonly used for compresses are : Chickweed, Comfrey, Marigold, Mullein, Plantain, Slippery Elm, Chamomile.
Poultices are made by packing fresh or died herbs in a muslin bag or folded flannel soaked in boiling water, then bandage it in place (make sure that it is hot but not burning), as poultices have to remain in place for 1 to 4 hours, keep it warm by using a water bottle or heating pad. Herbs commonly used for poultices are: 

Comfrey (fractures ulcers), Chamomile and Hops (muscle pains and neuralgias).

Article from: http://www.infoherb.com/Using_herbs.html

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