Thoughts on gun control

Gun control is always linked to socialism, communism, monarchy, or some other kind of oppressive government.

How many people were killed in car accidents last year?
How many people were killed by firearms last year?

But we are not going to outlaw cars and car shows?

Lets just all panic because someone shot an elected official in Arizona. But when little Suzy fell into a pool and drowned, I bet the local news barely mentioned it, much less the world news.

Talk of gun control after an event is nothing more then reactionism.

If someone commits a crime with a firearm – punish that person. But do not burden law abiding gun owners with more restrictions. To quote a scene from Red Dawn – “if a fox steals a chicken, you do not punish the pig.”

The world is full of bad things, whether its mercury in the tuna, lead in the drinking water,,,,,,, the world is never going to be a perfect place.



We already have plenty of gun laws on the books, enforce the ones we have first.

With self governor comes self responsibility. Those that can not use their rights without harming others, should have their rights taken away (prison), but do not punish the majority for the actions of the few.

Look at the people that get convicted of assault or even murder. Chances are they have a record a mile long, and chances are the state had a “3 strikes and your out law” somewhere on the books. So why are they on the streets to start with?

With prisons already overloaded, where is society supposed to put repeat offenders? That is, until they commit the most violent of crimes – and then its too late.

A few weeks ago there were some murders in Beaumont Texas. Come to find out the suspect had a record so long, they must have installed a revolving door on the jail just for him. Between early release, and reduced prison terms, this guy was in and out of prison like it was a candy store. The question I have to ask was “why”? Why did it take the guy murdering someone before he was sent to prison for life? Maybe because prison is not a warehouse? Prison is not for people who “might” harm society. We have to wait until the deed is done, and then we do something.

I firmly believe that people have the right to protect themselves, their family and their property.

I also believe the people have the right for armed rebellion – but only as a last resort. If it was good enough for the militia and George Washington in 1776, its good enough for us.

The protest in Egypt, and the calls for the government to step down going on right now. How much different would it be if the people were armed? I think things would be a lot different.

Timinin square 1989, things might have turned out a little different if the citizens had been armed.

What makes Egypt and Timinin square so much different then the American Revolution? The Americans were armed.

2 days at the camp

My 2 kids and I went to the camp for the weekend and had a great time. We planted a bunch of oak trees, a plum tree and a peach tree.

While we were at the camp I spotted a large pen oak tree that had blown down during a recent storm. This means that the kids and I will have to go to the camp, get the chainsaw and cut up some firewood.

Survival food preps

5 easy survival food preps that just about anyone can do. Honey, canned goods, peanut butter, nutritional drinks and canned fish only to name a few.



What are the requirements for a survival food prep?

Nutrition content
Calorie content
At least 1 year shelf life
No special storage after opening / or, serving size so that the whole thing can be eaten after opening
No special cooking requirements -- open and eat, or heat and eat
Something your family normally eats
Considerations for special diets
Price

Personal Hygiene Kit

Personal hygiene kits have been a favorite topic of mine since the early 1980s - that is when I got my contacts. When I would go camping or hiking - it became clear real quick that I needed some kind of kit to keep my contact lens case and wetting solution in. So I got a used make-up bag, cleaned it up and made it into a Personal Hygiene Kit.




Over the past almost 30 years, the kit has grown a little bit, and I have gone through several make-up bags.

Contents include:
contact lens case
wetting and cleaning solution
personal sized shampoo
personal sized soap
comb
tooth brush and tooth paste
and maybe a razor for shaving

Berkey light overview

Water storage - filtration - purification is where a lot of people seem to be lacking in their disaster prepardness plans. This is where something like a Berkey water filter can come into play.

The Berkey water filter in this video was supplied by Red Barn Workshop - who has a wide selection of hiking, camping and disaster preparedness supplies.

Each filter has an estimated life of around 3,000 gallons. With 2 filters, the Berkey Light has an estimated life of around 6,000 gallons. Either way - 3,000 or 6,000 gallons, that is a lot of water.

Cold weather here at last

The cold weather is here at last. In East Texas it does not get "that" cold, but still cold enough to give you a chill.

When December and January roll around, and the cold weather starts to blow in, I think of my teenage years. The memories are still there of camping along the marsh, with the northern winds blowing overhead. On the edge of the marsh there are few tree to stop the wind, so it blows right through.

How I miss those days with my buddies, all I have now are memories. Real life keeps us apart (my friends and I), we have adult duties, like taking care of our kids, or going to work.

The places where we used to go camping are overgrown with weeds, kinda like our lives. Back then things were simple. But now things are a lot more complex, and it seems that weeds grow up around our lives that stop us from doing the things we want.

Maybe one day I can get back out to the woods and feel the cold night air.

How about onions?

Onions - they are easy to grow, easy to transplant, easy to store, which makes them perfect for home gardens.

As for soil and fertilizer requirements, try to use some good organic potting soil, manure and nitrogen fertilzier every few weeks. Onions also like plenty of water. If the tops start to bend over, they need more water.