It's Not Your Money

Hello, Frank here.

A couple of days back I ran across an interesting article by Michael Snyder, the author of The Economic Collapse Blog. Mr. Snyder puts out three to four articles per week on this blog site. He has many articles that are thought provoking.

This particular article really caught my eye, though. At one time or another, we all use banks. If you're on Social Security, or any other state or federal retirement system, then your checks are going to be

direct deposit to the bank. Yes, there are minor exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, all government type checks are direct deposit. Are you aware that when you put money in the bank, technically, it is not your money any longer? It is now the bank's money. The reason is, that you gave the bank your money for safe holding. 

Getting back to Michael Snyder's article. It's almost to the point where the government and banks working together, can now take your money.

You say, "This can't happen." You say, "This isn't Corsica." I remember when the banks in Corsica stole a percentage of their investors money. I know, stole is a harsh word. We don't like to accuse anyone of stealing, now do we? That's because it hasn't happened to us yet. But, when the banks in Corsica stole their depositors money, it was just gone. But that will never happen here, will it?

Let's pick a hypothetical number, ten years. What has happened or changed in the last ten years, that you said would never happen? Just think for a second. It doesn't have to be the economy. It doesn't have to be schools. Just give it some thought. Still think banks won't ever take your money? Then you are probably one of those people that believe that your government would never lie. And if you believe that, then you will find this article to be the funniest thing you have read in years. I choose not to mention politician's names directly, but we have a former president's wife, that if she is talking, she is lying.

Okay, back to the article at hand. Please read Michael Snyder's article, give it some thought. Think back about the changes for the last ten years, and ask yourself, "Does the government, or any of it's representatives, ever lie to us, when telling the truth would be just as easy?" The article is about banking, safe deposit boxes, and some of the illusions that we continue to harbor.

An interesting personal anecdote. A few weeks back, I closed an account that I had with a state agency. This particular state agency sent two checks. One of the checks I rolled over into another account, and one of the checks I wanted to put into my bank account. I went to my local bank, told them I wanted to deposit this amount. The deposit slip was filled out correctly. Without going into a lot of detail, I was not allowed to deposit this check.

So, I left that bank, went down the road a few miles to another bank, which I will call local bank number two. Filled out another deposit slip, handed it to the teller, he went and talked to someone in a big glass office, and came back and told me that the funds would be available in seven business days. I said thank you.

My questions are: Why did the first bank go through the time of telling me that my deposit check looked like it might not be real? Why did they tell me that if the check happened to be bad, and I wrote checks on the bad check, then I could get in trouble? I don't understand. Why couldn't the first bank just put the check in the bank and tell me that in seven business days I would have access to that money? Why did the first bank go out of their way to treat me like a criminal? I don't know.

By the way, bank number two. After eight business days, I went to the bank and asked if I could withdraw the deposit that I made eight days earlier. I was told sure. After I was given the cash, had left the bank and was sitting in my car, the teller came out to the car, actually it is a Jeep, and told me that she needed a copy of my driver's license. I guess I am some kind of a bad person. When I opened the account, I gave them a copy of my driver's license, and that was a few years back.

I get so tired of government regulations. What kind of light bulbs to use, how much water my toilet can flush, and etc., etc., etc., etc....... It is nobody's business how much water my toilet flushes. It's coming folks. It's been building for years. The government is trying to control more and more of our lives. Pay attention. Read this article by Michael Snyder, and for some of you that are predisposed, go back out and put your head in the sand. For those of you that can see, this is just one more example of our government tightening the noose.

We'll talk more later. Frank

No Shampoo, Three Months Later

I wanted to give you another update on my No Shampoo experience. I have made a few slight changes, and continue to be very happy with the results.

After about six weeks of using my baking soda and vinegar combinations, I realized my hair was getting pretty dry and so was my scalp. So, I went back and re-read some of the information I originally used to make this change.

Before

In this article, "However, baking soda can leave your hair very dry and give your scalp a scaly look, and so you may consider applying a moisturizer on your hair. Baking soda is good for people who have an oily scalp. People who have a dry scalp may need to consider using extra ingredients, and this is where cider vinegar comes in." And then it goes on to say, "Apple cider vinegar is a natural moisturizer. It is ideal for dry hair and scalp. After long periods of using baking soda to clean hair, your hair is likely to become dry. After washing and rinsing with the baking soda solution, pour a mix of apple cider vinegar and water through your hair and then rinse with water again. This cleanses your hair and also leaves it moisturized. Baking soda and cider vinegar is good for people with a normal, dry or even combined scalp."

One week later

So, with this in mind, I changed up my routine a little. I am using two teaspoons of baking soda with two cups of water for shampoo,  and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in two cups of water for conditioner. I have also changed how I use the vinegar conditioner. Instead of only putting a little on the ends of my hair, which was leaving it pretty dry, I put a liberal amount on all of my hair, from scalp to ends. It does make a difference. Now when I rinse my hair, it feels smooth and silky like it used to with the commercial products. I know that isn't the end goal, but it does feel like it did back then. Originally, I only used the vinegar rinse on the ends of my hair because some of the articles I read led me to believe the hair next to my scalp would look greasy and dirty. Since my hair was getting pretty dry, I figured I was past the stage of adjusting to the change, and tried using the rinse on all of my hair.

One month later

I am also very happy to report that I still do not require any medicated products for the psoriasis on my scalp. I continue to itch a little, but there is no comparison to before when I was using prescription and other medicated products on a regular basis. I usually have an outbreak of psoriasis each spring on my arms and stomach when I get a patch of poison ivy, which makes me blister. This year has been no exception. I wondered if my No Poo routine would be able to withstand this outbreak, and it has. Another plus.

Three months later

My hair actually looks better. Frank says he can't tell the difference, I look like I always have. My hair still feels thicker and fuller. It combs out differently. It doesn't get near as tangled as it use to, and I have a lot of hair. I have been able to change to using only a comb and not using a brush at all. I think my hair breaks off less, because there is much less hair in my comb each day than there ever was before I quit using shampoo and a brush.

I am consistently amazed at all of the things out there to learn that can make us healthier, happier people. I am just grateful that I ran across this one thing. It has really opened my eyes to how dousing our bodies with chemicals everyday affects our health.

Until next time - Fern

New Herbs and Stuff

It appears that this will be the year I get the herb bed really established. I found a new company, Companion Plants, that I really like. They ship a good quality product with reasonable shipping. This means I have added many new plants to my herb bed. This is the beginning of the herb bed I have always dreamed of. I hope in the next few years it will mature and be self-sustaining. We have future plans to increase some of these plants in larger patches in other locations. Here is the tour with a brief description of each.

Comfrey. I had already obtained five new roots, but I added a couple more. Now I have eight established comfrey plants to harvest for animal feed supplement, as well as medicinal uses.

Marshmallow. Tender leaves can be used in spring salads. Roots, flowers, dried or fresh.

Wild yams. Fresh or dried root decoction.

 






Camphor wormwood. Insect repellent and animal wormer. It also doesn't get along with other plants very well, so it needs a corner of it's own.

Bergamot (monarda fistulosa) and Bee Balm (monarda didyma). Leaves and flowers, fresh, cooked or dried for tea. Attracts pollinators.

Anise hyssop. Seeds whole or crushed. Leaves for salad

 

 

Uva ursi. Leaves, berries for infusions.

Butterflyweed. Just because it's pretty. Attracts pollinators.

Angelica. Roots, stems or leaves, dried or fresh.

English lavender. Flowers and leaves for infusions or oils.

Mexican marigold. Leaves, fresh or dried, flowers for dye.

Wild ginger. Roots, dried or fresh.

Ground nuts (apios americana). Tuber, protein, starch, isoflavones

 









The old and new hops now have another permanent home. I had originally put them on the west side of the old shed. When Frank tore it down, I dug up the old plant and put it in a pot on the porch for a while. I ordered two more plants, and now all three are residing on the west side of this shed and doing well. They have been joined by a clematis that needed a new home as well.

Sweet, edible bamboo in it's new location. Some of it died while it was in a pot on the porch during the winter, but it's started sending up new shoots again. This should be a good spot for it to spread and grow.

Our new batch of sun chokes, or Jerusalem artichokes. They are doing very well.

Our old patch of sun chokes are also growing well this year. They need to lose a few weeds and pesky scrub growth, but that will have to wait for another day.

The meadowsweet we planted back in the winter is doing well beside the branch here. I've tried to locate a few companions for this plant, but haven't found any yet. I have some seeds as well, but haven't had the time to start any seedlings lately.

  

Roses. I had some in a pot on the porch for a while, and finally decided where to put them. In the meantime, I found a good sale and ordered more. So far, so good. If they're going to be very picky, they won't make it. Most plants have to be pretty hardy to make it around here. I like to call it loving neglect. I love to have them around, but they have to stand some neglect.

I grow all of these things for specific reasons. If you are interested in any of them, or curious why I grow them, do some research and see what they can be used for. I have spent many hours reading and researching. Some of these plants may never be used for my intended purpose, but they are here if I want them. Using herbs for anything except culinary purposes is frowned upon in many circles. If you choose to use them, research them thoroughly first. Make wise, informed decisions about your own health and the health of your family. Along the way I will share some of the things we are doing, like feeding comfrey to the chickens and goats. The rest is up to you.

There are many different things we can grow that are fairly self-sustaining, even if they are somewhat neglected. We try to find ways to tuck in some plants that will produce in spite of us. They may provide a source of food, nutrients and/or possible medicine if the time comes that they are needed. And besides all that, it makes for another spot of beauty that surrounds us. Learn about and work at whatever needs doing around your place. It is time that is never wasted.

 Until next time - Fern

Radio - Wanna Be a General, Part 7

Hello, Frank here.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to finish preparing for the general exam today. I'm going to have lower back surgery here in a few days, and I am going to be out of service for a while. This is the same reason the radio posts have been sporadic and far between. I have an old back injury that I decided to reactivate in full force. So, if I spell the word excruciating correctly, it's the word I use to describe my stabbing pains, which will soon be over. Hopefully. So much for my whining routine.

Okay. I'm on page 47 of Romanchik, and this manual ends on page 66, and that's where we will be at the end of this post. As I've stated more than once, if you have your Technician, then you know how to get in touch with the ARRL. You know how to find a mentor, or Elmer. And you know a little bit about safety. 

Speaking of safety, know the safety rules, follow them. If you want to cut corners on an antenna, wonderful. If you want to open your radio up and start whacking diodes and resistors, wonderful. But, never compromise on safety. Yesterday I was doing a little soldering. My tip was a little shaky, and without thinking, I reached down with an unprotected index finger, and stupidly, stabilized the tip of my soldering iron. After I got finished with my diatribe of expletives, I promptly stuck my burnt finger in my mouth. Next, I pulled out my trusty commercial handheld radio, called my wife on GMRS 20, and asked her to bring me the burn cream. Those were not the exact words, but for family publication, it will do. And if you think you'll never do something stupid......

Okay, let's go. Operating procedures. If you're using Romanchik, then you know that all of the bold print words are the answers, and he surrounds it with the question. It gives you the number and letters where the question comes from. Example: G2A05. It talks about sideband, upper and lower, which is the outside part of the carrier. This is stuff you should already know. Now, I'm not an old salt at this stuff, but I do not remember everything I've learned in the past. By the way, this is not on the test, but if you use 11 meter, or CB, channels 30 through 40, folks use the lower sideband, even though the ham bands 10 and 12, are upper side band. Also do a google search, CB Free Band. With your HF radio you can listen to all of these frequencies. And if you have a modified HF radio, you can also broadcast on these frequencies. As you know, that is illegal.

You need to know what "CQ, CQ, CQ" means. And you also need to know what CQ DX means. Read pages 48 and  49. These are things you will need to know for the test. But most of them are just common courtesy. Page 50 starts CW, which is morse code. Whether you ever do CW, or you ever plan on doing CW or not, these questions are still going to be on the test. And they will be on the test, therefore, you will need to know the information about CW. Pages 51 and 52 are some very general rules. Remember, if you see a question about 'all these choices are correct', that is not the answer every time, but more than not, it is. Know what QRP means, and always use QRP.

I'm on page 53. Most of these terms are not going to be familiar to you. Most of you will never use these. But if you choose to, know what they are. RTTY, for example, means radioteletype. It has been around a long, long time. But, as usual, this information will be on your test, and if you never plan on using this information that is fine. Learn it long enough to pass the test. I know there are guys in ham radio that hate this type of teaching technique. Some of them believe that you should study and know everything, even if you're never going to use it again in your life. There are those types everywhere. We're not talking about studying for a medical exam here. So. If you're in a crowd of old guys, talking about how you did, and you talk about the techniques learned here, it might be one of those good days to be quiet and listen.

Okay, I'm on page 55. Electrical and RF safety. You know that microwave oven you have in your kitchen? Microwave is just a band of RF. If you don't know what you're doing, DON'T DO IT. And you will not see this in any safety manual anywhere. But, if you are going to do something that you know you are not supposed to do, then do it at low power. Those brain tissues that you fry are not going to come back. We all do things that are stupid, trust me, I know. And we all do things we're not supposed to do. But if you're going to to it anyway, do it at low power. That does not mean it's okay to go out and stand in a puddle of water, and work on an electrical outlet. That is categorized as ultra stupid. Okay. Read about safety and RF safety. Again, if you see, "all of these choices are correct", in more cases than not, that is the answer, but not every time. 

This is a good time to know how to ground your equipment. And if by chance you are one of these guys, that took a sharp hit to your head when you were a child and find some pleasure in climbing towers, follow the safety rules. I can never understand how anybody would want to climb a tower. To get me up a tower past, oh, six feet, there's going to have to be a raging water buffalo at the base of that tower. 

Okay, on page 57 it talks about AWG12. This is probably the size of wire that carries most of your electrical outlet current. So, now you know about what size #12 is. Okay, remember, the bigger the number, the smaller the cable size. #22 is a whole lot smaller than #12, and #6 is a whole lot bigger than #12. Ground your equipment. When you're working on a piece of equipment, turn off the power. And, even if the power is disconnected and unplugged, you can still fry your piece of equipment if you touch the wrong capacitor. Know what you're doing. And you say, "If I don't know what I'm doing, how am I going to learn?" Find a mentor through your local ARRL. Find one you get along with. If you're going to be the type of person that follows the rules 100% of the time, then find somebody that has that same belief. If you're the type that's going to experiment a little bit, then find someone that has that same type of belief. I would guesstimate the numbers are about 50/50, so just ask around. Don't be afraid to ask. Tell the mentor what you want to do, and if he says you can't do that, then ask him to direct you to someone who will teach you what you want to know. It's no big deal.

Page 59. Rules. There's a lot of stuff here that doesn't seem to be particularly important, but it is on the test. Get out one of those ICOM band charts, a pencil and start playing with the edges of the bands, and this stuff will come to you pretty quick. There is a lot of it on the test, so therefore, you will need to know it to pass. 

And you might say, "Well, I can't transmit on the 60 meter band." So, what do you do? It's legal to transmit there, but your radio won't do it. You open up your radio. Is that legal? Yes. Will it then be legal to transmit on 60 meters? Yes. Will your radio then transmit on the CB frequencies? Yes. Is it legal? No. So, is it legal to open up your radio? Yes. Okay. To open up your radio means, to allow it to transmit on frequencies that it was not initially designed to transmit on. Can you go inside your radio and smash a diode and now transmit on 60 meters? Yes, you can. Is it legal? Yes, it is. One more time. After you open up your radio, you will also be able to transmit on many frequencies that are illegal. Remember, you can listen to any frequency in the HF spectrum legally. Also remember, your HF radio is a first class shortwave receiver. Okee-dokee?

If you notice on the bottom of page 60 it says, "None of the amateur bands are shared with the citizens radio service." That's in this country. CB radio in other countries has different frequencies, but that's not on the test. But again, do a google and check out CB Free Band.

Proceeding right along to page 61, a few more rules and regulations. Talking about antennas. An antenna is probably the most important piece of equipment you will own. It does no good to have a $10,000 radio and a poor antenna. Now, I did not say cheap antenna. An inexpensive long wire antenna, or dipole, will do an excellent job if it is erected properly. Don't forget that either. You'll not impress your friends with a high dollar radio if you cannot produce an intelligible signal. Read the last paragraph on page 61, this is our government at it's best. One other free piece of advice. If you see FCC in the answer, the majority of the time, that is the correct answer, but not all of the time.

Alrighty. Page 63. More stuff you will see on the test, and it's going to be there. Go ahead and learn it. And the last part deals with volunteer examiner coordinators. There is a little bit more information about ITU. That will be the answer on at least one of the questions. 

Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen. That's it. Call your local ARRL, find out when they do testing. This is ham fest season, and many of them offer testing. If you have been taking the practice tests and you're scoring 85 or above, then it's time to go take the test. If you don't think you're going to pass the first time, then take a handful of $15.00 bills. A little humor there.

I talked on the radio to a gentleman in northern Ohio last night at 28.302. That's the first time I've talked on the radio in about a month. The last guy I talked to was in Argentina. He was also on the 10 meter band. As stated before, I don't contest, I have nothing to prove about how much my equipment costs. I listen to shortwave every chance I can, which is not very often. I am not intimidated by a man that has a $10,000 radio. I am happy for him, if that's what he truly wants. I'm also happy for the man that likes to contest. I've told you before, ham radio has lots of opportunities. Connected to my HF radio, is a dipole antenna and an A99 antenna, which is considered to be a CB antenna. I use it for 10, 11, 12 and 15 meters. It works great. I also have a couple of antenna switches that I use the A99 and the dipole on my legal CB radio. I like CB, but my antennas work for both. If you want to take an HF radio and open it up, that is not illegal. It just depends on where you use it. If you don't do something stupid, no one will notice you. 

Please go back and read some of the other posts. The information is put in a simple manner, and I hope you enjoy it. Here in a week or two or three, depending on how my back surgery goes, I'm going to put out a post about survival radio. If you believe there are hard times coming, then you might want to be able to talk to your buddy down the road, who might have an old CB radio in his truck. If he hunts, he probably has a couple of GMRS handheld radios, and you can talk to him, too. If you have an HF radio, you can listen to, and talk to folks, all around the planet. With a commercial VHF/UHF radio, you can talk on the ham frequencies, GMRS and MURS. Some of the above mentioned frequencies are not legal. But in a collapse situation, I'm not sure that will be an issue. Just don't get stupid. Wish me well on my surgery. I wish you well on your test.

We'll talk more later. 73, Frank

Growin' and Pickin' the Garden

The garden season is well under way here. I picked a bucket full of squash a couple of days ago. Soon we will be into the canning season again. We have canned up one batch of beets, which I will be sharing with you before long. The cucumbers are beginning to bear, the green beans are blooming, and it won't be long until the potatoes are ready to dig. We have been getting, and will probably get rain just about everyday for a while. I just hope there aren't anymore high winds or hail to damage the garden. Here is a tour of what is happening so far.

The green beans are blooming.

I planted two small rows of sunflowers by the green beans.



 





The potatoes are doing well this year, at least on the surface. Some of them are starting to die off, so it won't be long before we are able to start digging them up.

We have canned a batch of beets, and the ones that we left growing are still increasing in size. They will need to be harvested before long.

I think I have figured out why my onions never make bulbs. I plant them too deep. I really hope next year I can grow some real live onions. I wonder if I can grow a fall crop? I have never heard of anyone doing that. It's pretty hot here until about the end of September. I may just have to try that.

 The cucumbers are blooming and have some tiny little cucumbers to show.

The sunflowers are doing great. They are strong, healthy plants.

A storm semi blew over about half of the corn yesterday. I got most of it standing kind of upright again. Around here folks say it needs to be knee high by the 4th of July. Well, it's way past my knees, almost to my shoulder.

The purple hull peas have plenty of competition from the grass and weeds, but they are growing well. They should be blooming before long. I hope to get them some relief sometime soon.

The squash is growing very well. We are having to battle a few squash vine borers, so I put some wood ashes around the base of each plant. Surprisingly, we have seen very few squash bugs this year. Last year I was picking leaves with bug eggs on them everyday and feeding them to the chickens, along with squishing many bugs. This year I have squished about five or six bugs and haven't found any eggs at all. Weird. We have seen quite a few assassin bug nymphs around, and that is good.

The okra didn't germinate or grow well this spring. We had some late frosts and some cool weather, plus a lot of grass and weeds, but the okra is just now starting to grow. It hasn't filled in all of the rows and I'm not sure if I will replant the bare spots or not.

The peas are just about finished. It has gotten to hot for them, so we are waiting to pick the last few peas. I haven't figured out how to get enough peas to freeze a few quarts or can a few jars. Each year so far, we have only had enough peas for about five or six meals. I may not grow any next year and spend the time and effort on something else. It is nice to have something to eat out of the garden early in the spring, though. The tomatoes are doing very well. They are nice strong plants and have started to bloom as they take over the pea trellis.

The carrots are growing, but don't seem to like this end of the garden as well as the other end, where they grew last summer. The peppers seemed to have grown about six inches overnight. They are very happy with the hot weather we have been having. They are starting to bloom.

Overall, the garden is doing well, despite of all of the weed competition. Lately, we have had other priorities. You see, Frank is getting ready to have back surgery, so we have been somewhat otherwise occupied for some time. For instance, this evening we actually drove 30 miles to town to get some Kentucky Fried Chicken. We haven't done that for over five years. And, you know what? It wasn't any good. We talked about it for a while then realized that the chicken probably tastes just like it always has. It's our tastes that have changed.

It reminds me of when we first moved to Alaska. Before our move we were consuming our own meat, milk and eggs, just like now. After we had been gone for about six months we came back to our family doctor for a regular checkup and blood work. A few days later at our appointment, the doctor asked us what we were doing different because our protein levels were low, which had never happened before. The only answer we could come up with was that we had changed to all store bought meat, milk and eggs. It's something to ponder, huh?

2013

The time may come, sooner than we would like, when there are no more rides to town so someone else can cook for us and feed us. There may come a time that what we can grow or raise is all there is. There may come a time that the only medical attention we can get is what we can provide for ourselves. I can only say that I am glad that day is not yet upon us. But I feel it coming a little closer everyday. Don't wait until it is upon us. Get what you need while the gettin' is still good.

Until next time - Fern